irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $515KPOLICY ADVOCACY: JUSTICE IN MOTION'S POLICY PROGRAM CONDUCTS POLICY ANALYSIS AND ENGAGES GOVERNMENTS TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES FOR PROTECTING MIGRANT RIGHTS. THROUGH THE PROGRAM, THE ORGANIZATION LEVERAGES THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR DEFENDER NETWORK AND LEGAL ACTION TEAM TO BRIDGE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN LABOR AND IMMIGRATION POLICY AND BRING NEW PERSPECTIVES AND UNIQUE EXPERTISE INTO POLICY SPACES. DURING THE REPORTING YEAR, THE PROGRAM EDUCATED CONGRESS AND THE U.S. EXECUTIVE BRANCH ABOUT THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS FOR LABOR MIGRANTS AND THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM, AND PROVIDED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO GUATEMALAN AND HONDURAN MINISTRY OF LABOR STAFF AND SALVADORAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS STAFF TO PROTECT WORKER'S RIGHTS AND PREVENT ABUSE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON H-2 TEMPORARY LABOR VISAS.
- #2 $505KDEFENDER NETWORK: JUSTICE IN MOTION COORDINATES A DEFENDER NETWORK OF HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS MEXICO, GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, AND NICARAGUA, ENABLING THEM TO BETTER SERVE MIGRANTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, JUSTICE IN MOTION COORDINATED A MAJOR EXPANSION OF THE DEFENDER NETWORK, IDENTIFYING OVER 20 NEW MEMBERS FOR ONBOARDING, WHICH WILL BRING THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP TO MORE THAN 60 PARTICIPANTS IN 2025.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Child Detention Crisis Initiative
Works to free migrant children from U.S. immigration detention by coordinating cross-border information gathering through the Defender Network to reunite them with families.
Defender Network
Trains and coordinates a network of human rights organizations across Mexico and Central America to support migrants and strengthen cross-border advocacy.
Deportation Response Initiative
Ensures accountability and protects family integrity after deportation by documenting rights violations and supporting legal pathways for returned migrants.
Legal Action
Provides transnational legal support by connecting U.S. and Canadian lawyers with defenders in Mexico and Central America to facilitate cross-border cases and litigation.
Policy Advocacy
Engages governments and policymakers to improve protections for labor migrants and asylum seekers through research, publications, and technical assistance.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 2 activities
- Advocate for migrant rights and policy reformEngages in policy advocacy by working with government and civil society stakeholders to improve migrant access to justice, oppose anti-asylum legislation, influence U.S. immigration rules, and strengthen protections for labor migrants and asylum seekers through expert comments, coalition work, and engagement with federal agencies.
- Conduct research on temporary foreign worker visa programsProduces and publishes research on U.S. temporary foreign worker visa programs, including systemic fragmentation, lack of oversight, and worker abuse, such as the report "Visas, Inc." and "The Case for Transparency," to inform policy and advocacy efforts.
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Human Rights Advocacy & Accountability 1 activity
- Build capacity of human rights defender networkMaintains and expands the Defender Network—a collaboration with over 70 human rights organizations in Mexico and Central America—by providing training, technical assistance, coordination, and resources to strengthen cross-border legal advocacy and improve access to justice for deported and at-risk migrants.
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Immigration Legal Services 1 activity
- Provide cross-border legal services to migrantsDelivers direct legal support to thousands of migrants annually, including separated families, exploited workers, and children seeking safety, by connecting U.S. and Canadian lawyers with Defender Network members, facilitating transnational representation, and supporting litigation for victims of recruitment fraud and abuse.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Maintain public resource on U.S. temporary worker visa programsOperates "Visa Pages" as a comprehensive online resource providing information on U.S. non-immigrant visa programs for temporary foreign workers, including regulations, data, and migrant justice challenges, to inform public and policy discourse.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$1.98M
Contributions & grants$1.79M91%
Program service revenue$57K3%
Investment income$130K7%
Other revenue$595
expenses
Total expenses$2.73M
Program expenses63%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising17%
Salaries & benefits$1.67M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.64M
Cash$1.41M
Investments$3.19M
Liabilities$260K
Net assets$5.38M
Liquid reserves20.2 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -53.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CATHLEEN CARON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $180K |
| YADIRA HUERTA | DEFENDER NETWORK DIRECTOR | 40 | $145K |
| COURTNEY DAVIES | FINANCE & ADMIN DIRECTOR | 40 | $144K |
| KEELI SORENSEN | POLICY & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR | 40 | $144K |
board members · 15
- AMAL BOUHABIB — DIRECTOR
- ANNETTE MALKIN — DIRECTOR (FROM SEP 2023)
- BETH LYON — DIRECTOR
- CHRISTA STEWART — DIRECTOR (THRU DEC 2023)
- CHRISTIAN MUNOZ-VAZQUEZ — SECRETARY
- CLAUDIA HERRMANNSDORFER — DIRECTOR (THRU DEC 2023)
- ELEANOR NORDHOLM — DIRECTOR (THRU DEC 2023)
- GRETCHEN KUHNER — DIRECTOR (THRU DEC 2023)
- HEIDI GONZALEZ — DIRECTOR (FROM SEP 2023)
- INGRID NAVA — DIRECTOR
- KEN PASQUALE — PRESIDENT (FROM DEC 2023)
- LUCRECIA OLIVA — VICE PRESIDENT (FROM DEC 2023)
- MARIA M ODOM — DIRECTOR (THRU DEC 2023)
- MARK CARON — TREASURER
- SABRINA LEBLANC — DIRECTOR
relationships · 67
Who they work with
- Agnew::Beck Consulting Partner — Provided graphic design support for the original web edition of Visa Pages.
- Al Otro Lado Partner — Collaborates on documentation and support for separated families, with shared photo credit attribution.
- Arredondo & Amaro Abogados Partner — Member of the Defender Network providing legal services to migrants in León, Guanajuato, Mexico
- Asociación de Abogados y Notarios Mayas de Guatemala Partner — Member of the Defender Network providing legal services to Indigenous Maya communities in Guatemala
- Bufete Espinoza Rodriguez Partner — Legal firm in the Defender Network offering legal services in Choluteca, Honduras
- Centro Internacional de Asesoría y Movimiento Migrante (CIAMM) Partner — Member of the Defender Network offering legal and humanitarian support to migrants in Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico
- Centro Juvenil Generando Dignidad Partner — Member of the Defender Network supporting youth migrants in Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico
- Centro de Acompañamiento a Migrantes (CAMINOS) Partner — Member of the Defender Network providing accompaniment and support to migrants in Oaxaca, Mexico
- Centro de Estudios y Apoyo al Desarrollo Local (CEADEL) Partner — Member of the Defender Network supporting local development and migrant rights in Chimaltenango, Guatemala
- Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos (CIPRODEH) Partner — Member of the Defender Network promoting human rights through research in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- Centro de Orientación del Migrante de Oaxaca Partner — Member of the Defender Network offering orientation and legal aid to migrants in Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Comisión de Derechos Humanos y Laborales del Valle de Tehuacán Partner — Member of the Defender Network defending human and labor rights of migrants in Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico
- Comité de Derechos Humanos de Comalcalco Partner — Member of the Defender Network defending human rights in Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico
- Comunitaria por los Derechos Humanos "Tzobibaltik" Partner — Member of the Defender Network advancing human rights in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
- Davis, Polk & Wardwell LLP Partner — Member of the Host Committee for the 20th Anniversary Celebration, providing leadership and financial support.
- Defender Network Network — Network of advocates and lawyers providing cross-border legal support.
- Defender Network Network — Network of over 70 human rights advocates and organizations in Mexico and Central America that conducts interviews, legal screenings, and service connections for deported migrants.
- Defender Network Partner — Network of locally-led human rights lawyers and organizations in Mexico and Central America that provides on-the-ground support to migrants.
- Department of Labor Government — Engaged through policy advocacy to provide input on ethical recruitment guidance and worker protections.
- Despacho Jurídico Abogado Leonardo Rojas Partner — Legal office in the Defender Network providing legal representation to migrants in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- Federación de Trabajadores/as del departamento de Chinandega Partner — Member of the Defender Network advocating for workers’ and migrant rights in Chinandega, Nicaragua
- Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales Partner — Member of the Defender Network representing Indigenous migrant communities in Juxtlahuaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
- G & C Consultores Partner — Member of the Defender Network delivering legal consulting services in Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Grupo de Monitoreo Independiente de El Salvador (GMIES) Partner — Member of the Defender Network conducting independent monitoring of migrant rights in San Salvador, El Salvador
- Instituto para las Mujeres en la Migración Partner — Member of the Defender Network focused on migrant women’s rights in Mexico City
- Jill Hubley Partner — Provided web support for the original web edition of Visa Pages.
- Julien Mirer & Associates PLLC Partner — Member of the Host Committee for the 20th Anniversary Celebration, providing leadership and financial support.
- Kakalec Law PLLC Partner — Member of the Host Committee for the 20th Anniversary Celebration, providing leadership and financial support.
- Lic. Claudia Pinto Partner — Legal practitioner in the Defender Network supporting migrants in San Pedro Sula, Honduras
- Lic. Dora Melara Partner — Legal practitioner in the Defender Network providing legal aid in San Pedro Sula, Honduras
+ 37 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Cross-Border Defender Networkmethodology: cross-border_defender_networkBy connecting U.S. and Canadian legal advocates with in-country human rights defenders in Mexico and Central America, we ensure continuity of legal representation and access to justice for transnational migrants because sustained cross-border collaboration enables coordinated defense, family reunification, and effective advocacy grounded in local expertise.
- Locally-Led Capacity Buildingmethodology: local_capacity_buildingBy strengthening the capacity of local human rights defenders in Mexico and Central America, we enable sustainable migrant rights advocacy because locally-led, community-rooted organizations are best positioned to identify needs, shape responses, and ensure long-term regional resilience.
- Portable Justice Modelmethodology: portable_justiceBy operationalizing the belief that justice should follow migrants across borders, we maintain legal and social continuity after deportation through sustained engagement and transnational legal networks because migrant rights are not bound by geography and require long-term, cross-border support structures.
- Systemic Reform Through Cross-Border Transparencymethodology: cross-border_advocacy_and_transparencyBy increasing transparency in the U.S. temporary worker visa system and reducing recruitment fraud through cross-border legal insights and alliance-building, we drive systemic change because exposure of exploitative practices enables accountability and structural reform.