June 6, 2023 – Elizabeth Miller, Development Director for Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center, shared the story of the Golden Venture ship that went aground in New York with over 700 Chinese immigrants seeking asylum in 1993. The York community responded to the indefinite detention of the Golden Venture passengers with impassioned legal advocacy and a vigilant spirit of community support. Their outrage fueled a shared commitment to have equal access to justice. From this resolute belief in justice, the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center was formed with the mission of providing equal access to justice to those who have no voice. The Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC) is a nonprofit organization founded on the belief of equal access to justice, works to protect immigrants’ rights to freedom and opportunity in the United States and saves the lives of the most vulnerable immigrants. PIRC provides free, effective legal representation, legal counsel, education, and advocacy to help immigrants obtain or protect their legal status. The Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center provides comprehensive legal services to immigrants facing removal or detention, focusing its services on immigrants detained in the York County Prison and the Berks Family Shelter. PIRC relays on volunteers and pro bono partners for their incredible dedication to vulnerable immigrants in Pennsylvania. Volunteers and pro bono partners provide priceless legal services, translation/interpretation support, medical and psychological services, and administrative support. Volunteers come from all walks of life – interns, undergraduate students, law students, doctors, community members. Their work is meaningful and appreciated! Today PIRC continues to serve as a light in the darkness, a voice for the most vulnerable among us, and an advocate for those least able to access justice.
