ABRAHAM PAULOS (Executive Director) Abraham is deeply committed to social justice and has worked for a number of years advocating for immigrant rights and progressive reforms. Before joining our staff, he was a researcher at Human Rights First, focused on immigration detention. He also served as Program Director at Life of Hope, a community based organization in Brooklyn, which provides services to low-income immigrants. Additionally, Abraham has worked in media, reporting on urban policy and human rights as a writer and editorial assistant with City Limits, the civic affairs magazine that publishes investigative news on New York City politics and policies. Abraham joined Families for Freedom, as a member, after he faced mandatory immigration detention for a crime he did not commit. He was vindicated of those charges, but his experience moved him to aggressively advocate for others. Abraham is an Eritrean refugee, born in Sudan and raised in Chicago. He is a graduate of George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs and is currently finishing a Masters in Human Rights at the New School University.
DONALD ANTHONYSON (Organizer) was born in Antigua. He is involved in Civil Society and social issues in Antigua and the Caribbean. He is a member and past president of the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), the largest environmental group in the Eastern Caribbean. He is also a member of the NGO Network (ANU), which he has represented at forums including the CARICOM Heads of Government meetings and the EU/ACP trade and development meetings. He is also involved in community organizing of the Antiguan Diaspora in New York. Donald migrated to the US in 1979 and have been involved in various social issues ranging from police brutality (Elenanor Bumphus Justice Committee) and anti-racial responses (NYASA) to immigration. At FFF, Donald was a former Board member and led the efforts of the International Deportee Justice Campaign and produced for our monthly radio show on 99.5 FM WBAI.
ANDALUSIA SOLOFF (Organizer) Andalusia K. Soloff is a multimedia journalist, popular educator and organizer. For over ten years she has worked at the crossroads of community media, criminal justice and immigrant rights issues. As a producer with the national dialogue project Thousand Kites, she has facilitated workshops with mothers and wives of prisoners to create community radio programming that crosses prison walls. She has also worked as organizer in the national movement for Immigrant Farmworker justice in alliance with The Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Andalusia is an independent multimedia journalist and has reported for various outlets including Free Speech Radio News, TeleSUR TV, Real News Network, Radio Bilingue, Upside Down World and more.
Board
KATHLEEN MCARDLE (Board Secretary/Program Committee) is a longtime activist involved in issues spanning from environmental justice to immigrant rights. She joined FFF in 2004, after her partner was deported to Jamaica. She was a graduate of the first FFF Organizing Fellows Class. Kathy has worked tirelessly to develop FFF’s campaigns and community outreach. Born and raised in Brooklyn, and with a background in art and design, Kathy now lives in Brooklyn with her son Joshua, one of FFF’s youth members.
KIRK JAMES (Program Committee) I have watched as millions of people, immigrants and non-immigrants alike have been affected by draconian immigration policies. FFF, since its inception, has been at the forefront of changing policy and minds. Its members and staff are dedicated to ameliorating the plight of immigrants in this country and I am privileged to serve as an active board member. Having had personal and professional experience with matters of the criminal justice system, immigration and subsequent deportation, I believe that the greatest quality that I bring to the board is my belief that anything is possible through hard work and dedication. My experiences in leadership roles are various. I have organized around criminal and immigration reform, I served as Team Leader for the department of Homeless services and its 5 year plan to end homelessness in NYC, as well as various directorial positions including my current position at Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens where I manage various sites throughout Brooklyn that provide a plethora of services to the community such as hunger and eviction prevention as well as basic case management around presenting and underlined issues.
NAOMI ABRAHAM (Finance & Fundraising Committee) I have been a fan of Families For Freedom for the past five years and so it is a pleasure for me to now have a seat on the Board of Directors. FFF serves a critical niche in the U.S. immigrant rights movement as one of just a handful of organizations dedicated to fighting the immigrant detention/deportation system. FFF's work has always been important, especially to the families it works with, but now with deportation becoming the de-facto policy on immigration in the U.S. and more and more immigrants getting caught up in this unjust system, FFF's existence is as critical as ever. I want to help the organization garner the support it deserves and needs to continue the programs so many in New York and beyond have come to rely upon. I hope to bring to bear my experience in philanthropy, organizational development and training in journalism to this role and by doing so I hope to help FFF find the sweet spot between growth and sustainability.
VALERIA TREVES (Program Committee) I solidly support the mission of Families for Freedom, and I have a great respect and admiration for the work of the organization. In the past few years, I have been an ally to Families for Freedom, not only in my personal capacity but also as Executive Director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE). NICE and FFF have and continue to work in coalition against immigration enforcement, for just immigration policy and against collaboration between local police and immigration enforcement. Furthermore, NICE staff and members (myself included) have been participants in Families for Freedom’s Speakers Bureau Deportation 101 program.
IRIS HADDAD (Treasurer/Finance & Fundraising Committee) When my fiancé was detained for 5 months and then deported for 5 years, it was an emotional, physical and financial ordeal. I knew that when our case was resolved and my (now) husband would come back to the U.S. that there was still unfinished business re the immigration process. I knew I had to do whatever I could to ensure others didn't go through what we did. In the past I belonged to a local Amnesty International group and did a lot of outreach work through them. I served on the board of my condo association for three years and during that time oversaw a lot of projects and worked on keeping our finances up to speed. I also took a leadership training course through the American Friends Service Committee several years ago.
JULIA PAUL (Finance & Fundraising Committee) I became socially and politically active upon the detention and subsequent deportation of my fiancé whom I have known for over twenty years. In order to assist him, I became affiliated with Families for Freedom. I became a member of the International Deportee Justice Committee Campaign, because many nationals are given inadequate advice about the criminal justice system and they need to be informed of their rights and what action should be taken if they are detained. I have also been granted the opportunity to co-host the War on Immigrants Report on WBAI.
RAVI RAGBIR (Board Chair) I am the NY New Sanctuary Coalition Community Organizer. I joined FFF when I was released from detention in March 2007. The ACLU who was instrumental in my release told me if I wanted to fight I should go to FFF. I was not disappointed. I believe my experience throughout my removal proceedings would keep my and FFF’s idealism in check because I have an understanding of the impact rules and regulations would have on someone. This would keep me focused on the mission and vision of FFF to help those affected by deportation and detention. I have worked with FFF on various projects. I have presented at various events. I worked on the radio and television programs.
And more importantly I was the lead trainer for the Speakers’ Bureau where we train members and allies to take leadership roles.
ALINA DAS ( Co-Chair) I am the supervising attorney at the NYU Law School Immigrant Rights Clinic. I first became involved with FFF when I worked with a FFF member and his family in their fight against deportation in 2002. Since then, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with FFF on its campaigns when I was an attorney at the Immigrant Defense Project and now as a supervising attorney at NYU. The clinic has worked with the Child Citizen Protection Act organizing committee, the Speakers’ Bureau, and on the Pardon Panel Policy Paper. Through these efforts, I have come to know many of the members of FFF and am proud to count myself among FFF's allies. I have worked with other organizations to host fundraising opportunities and also understand the special challenges associated with fundraising for nonprofit organizations working for immigrant rights.