Our Story

About Mid-South Immigration Advocates

These are the People We Serve

At Mid-South Immigration Advocates (MIA), we protect the most vulnerable members of our community by providing holistic, vigorous legal representation to children, survivors of violence, asylum seekers, and families at risk of deportation.

Our Mission

MIA is the first nonprofit law firm in the tri-state area whose core mission is to provide free and affordable immigration representation to low-income clients. Founded in 2013 by local immigration attorneys who recognized a need for quality legal services, MIA empowers those who feel powerless and helps give a voice to those who feel silenced by guiding clients through the immigration system with experience and compassion. ​
Our Values

Access to Justice

Access is half the battle. MIA focuses its resources on serving the most vulnerable communities, providing representation to those who would otherwise not have access to legal services.

Integrity and Accountability

MIA empowers its staff with the resources to maintain high standards, emphasizing impact, quality, and professional ethics in the provision of legal services. We won’t allow our clients, who are some of the most vulnerable among us, to be taken advantage of, misguided or move forward without clarity.

Partnership

We are stronger together. MIA partners with community-based organizations, direct services providers, and other Mid-South agencies to maximize the impact of our services.

Secular and Nonsectarian

MIA serves the immigrant community of the Mid-South regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, political opinion, national origin, criminal history, or immigration status. Immigrants’ rights are human rights.

Sustainability

MIA makes strategic decisions regarding programming, funding, and use of resources to ensure that the organization will be able to continue its work well into the future.

Partnerships

Detention Watch Network

Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a national coalition building power through collective advocacy, grassroots organizing, and strategic communications to abolish immigration detention in the United States. Network members include formerly detained people and their families, community and faith-based groups, legal service providers like MIA, lawyers, national and regional advocates and organizers, and law school clinics.