Immigration

Community Ride Project

“Neighbors helping neighbors to get where they need to go!”

A Project of

In partnership with Indivisible Northampton and the Immigrant Protection Project of the ACLU of Massachusetts

:   Overview   :

We work with folks who don’t have reliable access to transportation to get to and from important appointments necessary to dealing with their immigration status. We rely upon community members who can provide transportation to help those folks.

That’s it. Providing a ride from Point A to Point B (and back.)

:   Qualifications   :

  • A working, reliable, car with a valid inspection and registration
  • Potential availability to provide a ride during the week
  • A sense of goodwill!

:   The Process  :

To become a Verified Driver:

  1. Possess the qualifications (above)
  2. Contact us to let you know you’re interested: (413) 584-8975 or
  3. Attend (on time) a brief training meeting and give us your email and phone number to contact you.
  4. That’s it! You’ll be placed on our Verified Drivers list.

To provide a ride:

  1. You will get an email from The Resistance Center with:
    1. Date of needed ride
    1. Origin and Destination

(which is usually Springfield to Hartford)

  • Time or time window for appointment
    • If a child will be coming / carseat is necessary
  • If you
    • CANNOT provide a ride, delete the email! No sweat!
    • CAN provide a ride, respond as soon as you can.
  • If you volunteer to provide a ride, you will receive a confirmation response with the person’s:
    • Name
    • Language(s) Spoken
    • Cell phone number
    • Address
    • Whether a carseat is needed
    • Javier’s (or a designated coordinator’s) cellphone
  • Make sure you respond
  • When you arrive at the person’s residence, they should be waiting. Be kind and allow the person you’re driving to either engage or rest (and sometimes sleep!)
  • After you’ve parked, it’s expected that you’ll accompany the person into the waiting area of the destination, but you are not expected to go into the appointment with them. Just wait for them to come out.
  • That’s it!

:   Frequently Asked Questions    :

Q: Where do I park at the Hartford ISAP or ICE offices?

A: There’s street parking all along Main Street, and there is a public parking lot of the Hartford Public Library.

Q: How do I get a child’s carseat installed in my car?

A: You can go to get a carseat from us and get it installed:

The Resistance Center office (, , Northampton.) If you need to provide a carseat, we’ll be in touch when you volunteer to provide the ride.

Q: How do I advocate for the person I’m driving?

A: You don’t! Folks are going to routine appointments (not court), and there is no need to (and you should not) advocate, just to provide friendly accompaniment.

Q: How long do appointments take?

A: There’s no guarantee, but most of the time the wait and appointment is completed within an hour.

Q: Do I need to know Spanish?

A: Nope! Often it helps, but sometimes the folks being driven aren’t fluent in English or Spanish. If there’s a problem with communication, Javier is on call to help!

Q: What if something unexpected happens?

A: You can call Javier Luengo-Garrido (or a designated coordinator) at any point if there’s any trouble at all.

Map of destination offices in downtown Hartford:

:   Want to get involved?  :

Contact The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice:

(413) 584-8975

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Immigration Advocacy

The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice has an ongoing commitment to making America a safe place for newcomers. Our focus on justice for immigrants has become especially paramount during Trump’s presidency. To counter the effects of Trump’s aggressive and xenophobic measures to deport immigrants, The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice has embarked on several projects to stand with immigrants.

Welcoming Community Laws

Welcoming Community Laws outline codes of conduct for local officials to minimize immigrants’ risks of detainment and deportation.

The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice has contributed to the success of Welcoming Community Laws in several towns and cities in Massachusetts: Springfield, Northampton, Conway, and Amherst.

“The Myth of Sanctuary Cities” Report

In a 20-page report, The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice has summarized the history of Sanctuary Cities in America, focusing specifically on Massachusetts. This report will be distributed by the Massachusetts chapter of the ACLU. The report will serve to outline major factual errors in Trump’s rhetoric, namely his misuse of the term “Sanctuary Cities.”