Resources for Patients

IRHC Resource Guide

The BMC Immigration and Refugee Health Center (IRHC)’s Resource Guide provides information about a range of resources available to immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking patients in the greater Boston area, including resources related to food, housing, phone/internet, and education for children.

Download the IRHC Resource Guide (PDF)

Local Resources and Advocacy Organizations

• Boston Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA): The City of Boston offers a helpful guide to local and regional resources specifically for immigrants, refugees, and those seeking refugee status.
• Catholic Charities of Boston: Upon arriving in Boston, individuals face daunting linguistic, economic, cultural, and legal challenges. Catholic Charities of Boston helps arrivals integrate into society by offering support and guidance as they adjust to their new surroundings and become active participants in their communities.
• De Novo Center for Justice and Healing: Through the efforts of over 100 volunteer attorneys, clinical social workers, psychologists, paralegals, interpreters, student interns and other professionals, De Novo provides legal help in the areas of housing and homelessness prevention, family law/domestic violence, immigration law, and disability benefits, as well as a full range of mental health services and case management to help clients cope with the emotional impact of trauma.
• Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS): GBLS provides free legal assistance and representation on civil (non-criminal) matters to hundreds of residents in the city of Boston and 31 surrounding cities and towns.
• Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA): MIRA organizes, empowers, and mobilizes immigrant communities and their allies to advocate for themselves and amplifies and supports their voices.
• Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project: Formed in 1989, the PAIR Project provides free legal services to asylum seekers and promotes the rights of detained immigrants.

Family Preparedness Plan

It is good practice for every family to make a family preparedness plan to help reduce the stress of the unexpected. This guide from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) will help everyone, regardless of immigration status, create a Family Preparedness Plan. However, because of the additional challenges faced by immigrant and mixed-status families, the guide also contains additional advice for immigrants.

Make a Family Preparedness Plan (English)

Make a Family Preparedness Plan (Español)

Know Your Rights Materials

Red Cards

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) offers downloadable Know Your Rights “Red Cards” in many languages.

Online and Printable (PDF) Guides

These documents and web pages from trusted organizations provide guidance on how to respond to law enforcement in different situations:

• We Are CASA: With more than 192,000 lifetime members across 46 states, We Are CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and immigrant communities.
  • English: Know Your Rights
  • Español (Spanish): Conozca sus derechos
• iAmerica: Know Your Rights (English)
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Since 1979, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has helped expand the immigration expertise of attorneys, nonprofit staff, criminal defenders, and others assisting immigrant clients. They offer a downloadable Immigrant Rights Guide (PDF):
  • English
  • Arabic
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Chinese
  • Korean
  • Русский (Russian)
  • Tagalog
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
• National Immigration Law Center: Established in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading advocacy organizations in the U.S. dedicated to advancing and defending the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones.
  • English: Know Your Rights
  • Arabic: Know Your Rights (PDF)
  • Chinese (simplified): Know Your Rights (PDF)
  • Chinese (traditional): Know Your Rights (PDF)
  • Español (Spanish): Conozca sus derechos
  • Korean: Know Your Rights (PDF)
  • Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole): Aprann Konn Dwa W Selon Konstitizyon Etazini an (PDF)