named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Deportee International Justice Campaign
Advocates for foreign governments to defend their nationals in U.S. deportation proceedings through consulate roundtables and diplomatic engagement.
Detention Center Hotlines
Operates hotlines to help detained migrants connect with family, attorneys, and courts to reduce isolation and ensure legal access.
ICE Check-in Accompaniment
Provides emotional and logistical support to migrants attending mandatory ICE appointments through a formal sign-up system.
One Day to Protect New Yorkers Act
Advocates for state legislation to eliminate a one-day sentencing discrepancy that triggers federal deportation consequences for misdemeanor offenses.
Shut Down Berks Coalition
Participates in a multi-organization effort to close the Berks County Family Detention Center in Pennsylvania and end family detention nationwide.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 1 activity
- Advocacy campaigns for immigrant rights and policy changeOrganizes and leads advocacy efforts including petitions, public statements, press conferences, rallies, and lobbying for legislative reforms such as the Child Citizen Protection Act, the Clemency Justice Act, and the New Way Forward Act. The organization has also campaigned for the release of detained individuals and against ICE presence at Rikers Island.
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Refugee and Immigrant Resettlement Services 1 activity
- Direct support services for immigrants facing deportationProvides organizational support, education, accompaniment to ICE check-ins, detention center hotlines, assistance with immigration forms (including asylum and green card applications), and a stable mailing address for homeless migrants. These services are offered to immigrant families in New York and extend to national-level support.
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Political Leadership Training for Underrepresented Groups 1 activity
- Leadership development and community organizing among affected immigrantsBuilds leadership capacity among directly impacted individuals through organizing initiatives, empowerment programs, and expanding local advocacy networks into a nationwide movement across racial, ethnic, and gender lines.
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Published Narrative Projects 1 activity
- Publishing and public storytelling to advance immigrant justiceShares community stories publicly and published the book "Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist’s Freedom Song" in 2021 to inspire broader engagement in immigrant rights advocacy.
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Community Space Provision 1 activity
- Rental of shared office space to support organizational operationsOffers shared office space in Midtown Manhattan with amenities including high-speed internet, copy machine access, and 24-hour security cameras to generate operational revenue and support other organizations and individuals.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$129K
Contributions & grants$129K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$120%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$393K
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$197K
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$448K
Cash$191K
Investments$0
Liabilities$26K
Net assets$-45K
Liquid reserves5.8 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -48.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JANAY CAUTHEN | Executive Dir. | 45 | $118K |
board members · 7
- ALEJANDRA PABLOS — BOARD MEMBER
- ANTONIETTE L CALLISTRO — Board Member
- KATHLEEN MCARDLE — Board Member
- MARISSA GUTIERREZ-VICARIO — BOARD MEMBER
- NICK RODRIGO — Board Member
- Suma Setty — Board Member
- VINNETH R VAIDYULA — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 28
Who they work with
- Aarti Shahani Partner — Co-founder of Families For Freedom and best-selling author whose memoir documents the family’s immigrant experience and justice struggle.
- Alina Das Partner — Longtime member and supporter who contributes legal expertise and authored a memoir aligned with the organization's mission.
- Art and Resistance Through Education (ARTE) Partner — Founded by board member Marissa Gutierrez-Vicario, which aligns with FFF’s mission through youth mobilization for human rights using visual arts.
- Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) Partner — Organization where board member Will Depoo serves as senior campaign organizer, working on housing and racial justice issues.
- Bronx Documentary Center Partner — Institution where former FFF media consultant Andalusia Soloff presented as co-producer of the film "Endangered".
- Carla Rice Partner — Board Chair of Families for Freedom who serves as a contact for board membership and organizational engagement.
- Center for Law and Social Policy Partner — Organization where board member Suma Setty serves as senior policy analyst focusing on immigration and immigrant families’ access to public benefits.
- DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving) Partner — Organization where board member Will Depoo previously worked as a community organizer on immigrant rights and racial justice campaigns.
- Detention Watch Network Coalition — Collaborates with or references press materials from the Detention Watch Network in coverage of hunger strikes in ICE detention.
- Free Prakash Alliance Partner — Campaign co-founded by board member Will Depoo to defend a Queens youth facing criminal charges.
- HBO Partner — Platform airing the documentary "Endangered", co-produced by former FFF media consultant Andalusia Soloff.
- Immigrant Justice Network Partner — Collaborates with a coalition of organizations, including Immigrant Justice Network, to advocate for legislative disentanglement of the criminal legal and immigration systems.
- Janay Partner — Point of contact for assistance, indicating operational role in service delivery.
- Janay Cauthen Government — Executive Director of Families For Freedom Inc
- Janay Cauthen Partner — Current director and published author whose memoir reflects and advances the organization's advocacy work.
- Lucia Brothers Funeral Home Partner — Hosted the memorial service for Rodney “Dakem” Roberts, a long-time member of Families for Freedom.
- Marlon Peterson Partner — Longtime member, advocate, and author whose abolitionist memoir contributes to the organization's vision of justice reform.
- Mayor Eric Adams Government — Calls on Mayor Eric Adams to reverse the decision to allow ICE at Rikers Island.
- Mijente Coalition — National Latinx political organization that board member Alejandra Pablos is involved with, collaborating on immigrant rights and prison abolition.
- NPR Partner — Network hosting "The Art of Power" podcast by founding FFF member Aarti Shahani.
- National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) Partner — Former employer of board member Suma Setty, where she conducted research on the impact of immigration enforcement on low-income families.
- National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Partner — Employer of board member Alejandra Pablos, with aligned work in reproductive justice and immigrant rights organizing.
- New Sanctuary Movements Partner — Co-founded by Janay Cauthen to provide direct services to immigrant families facing detention and deportation in New York City.
- Precedential Group Social Enterprises Partner — Organization through which former FFF member Marlon Peterson continues abolitionist work.
- Richmond Refugee Health Partners (RRHP) Partner — Program founded by board member Vineeth R. Vaidyula to address refugee health education and cross-cultural care in Richmond, VA.
- Shut Down Berks Coalition Coalition — Member organization in a coalition working to close the Berks County Family Detention Center and end the detention of immigrant families.
- Students Together Assisting Refugees at VCU (STAR@VCU) Partner — Student organization founded by board member Vineeth R. Vaidyula focused on campus-wide migrant issue awareness through educational programming.
- UN Declaration of Human Rights Government — References the UN Declaration of Human Rights as a foundational framework for advocacy work.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Human Rights Framework for Immigrant Justicemethodology: human-rights-frameworkBy framing immigrant rights as fundamental human rights and resisting deportation and criminalization within an international human rights context, the organization challenges systemic injustice and asserts the dignity of affected communities, because this framing legitimizes resistance and demands structural accountability.
- Lived-Experience Leadership Modelmethodology: leadership-development-from-affected-communitiesBy centering leadership and advocacy in the lived experience of directly affected individuals, the organization builds authentic community power and drives systemic change, because those most impacted possess critical expertise and moral authority to challenge exclusion and reshape narratives.
- Story-Based Narrative Changemethodology: story-based advocacyBy sharing personal narratives of affected individuals, the organization transforms public perception and advances social change, because storytelling is a liberatory act that fosters empathy, builds cross-cultural solidarity, and shifts dominant narratives around immigration and race.