Oasis Legal Services

 “Undocumented people don’t get a lot of opportunities. There are so many talented people in every career I've had. For example, there are trans women who wanted to be teachers, and had the intellect but not the opportunities. We are missing out on all these people that don’t have the resources. I would tell people, you guys [society] have missed out and will continue to miss out on talented people who can do so much for this country. And who better to take advantage of opportunities, who better to thrive than people who have been belittled and who face obstacles and continue to jump those obstacles? What can they accomplish if given the opportunity?"

– MJ, Oasis Client

Mi Tierra / My Land: The Journey of LGBTQ+ Immigrants

Dario’s Story

Dario is a gay man from Brazil. He witnessed the harassment and persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals in his country his whole life. Dario recounts one instance where police arrested LGBTQ+ individuals at a club:

“We had just one safe place that the community used to go to. I constantly heard people saying, listen, ‘Don’t go to this place anymore,’ because they got beaten up. Even though the police's job is to protect us, you know, there is no accountability.” 

Another time, police refused to arrest perpetrators of homophobic violence:

“We went to the police and reported it. They didn't do anything, you know? They just laughed.” Dario adds, “I feel like that really stuck with me, because I was constantly scared. I never dated anyone at all because I was scared to hold hands …”

Dario tried to embrace his full self, but explained, “When I started living my life openly as a gay man, it just got scarier.” Stuck between self-acceptance and the fear of harassment, Dario said he found it too painful to keep hiding his identity. 

Dario came to the US in 2020 and heard about Oasis by word of mouth. 75% of our clients hear of our programs this way, thanks to the trust our legal advocates build with the LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.

Dario said that having an Oasis legal advocate explain the asylum process to him was crucial.

Referring to his Oasis attorney, Dario shared, “She basically gave me her hand and said, ‘That’s your right.’ She was like, let's do this, you know, let's walk through it together. It was just amazing.”

Dario won asylum in May 2022.

“Asylum gave me the possibility to have a regular job, get paid, get benefits, get health care. Asylum really changed my life.”

Thank you for supporting Oasis Legal Services

Our work is important because members of the international LGBTQ+ community are often persecuted, abused, and restricted from living a life of freedom due to their sexuality and/or gender identity. And there are hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ immigrants in the US living in fear of being returned to the countries where they have suffered tremendously. 

Oasis Legal Services helps LGBTQ+ immigrants fleeing horrific persecution in their countries of origin to find safety and obtain asylum in the US. Through a trauma-informed approach, our legal advocates continue to serve our clients as they become eligible for permanent residency and citizenship. There are many nonprofit organizations that serve LGBTQ+ or immigrant populations, but very few are dedicated to providing services to people who live at this intersection.

We win 99% of affirmative asylum cases.

With your support, our clients are able to achieve their dreams, become full members of our communities, and live and love without fear.

Read about our impact in 2023