Ten Years of Hospitality

On November 19, 2010, El Refugio opened its doors to families with loved ones at Stewart Detention Center. The group of friends who founded El Refugio did not plan to still be here in 2020. They assumed Stewart Detention Center would be shut down due to extensive documented cases of medical neglect, human rights violations, and absence of due process. That has not happened, and here we are. 

We are raising money between now and November 19 in honor of the many families who have stayed at El Refugio, first at our rental house and, later, our at our beautiful, spacious house at 210 Main St. 

Funds raised will be divided between two programs. Our Pandemic Support Initiative provides telephone and commissary support to people at Stewart, Solidarity Care Packages to family members, post-release support, and other services such as books, deportation bags, hotline support, and our letters programs. Our Amplify and Abolish Campaign works with our partners to shut down Stewart and abolish immigrant detention. Our house may be temporarily closed due to the pandemic, but El Refugio remains committed to people at Stewart Detention Center and their loved ones. Thank you for your support!