Dear Friends of IAJE,

We are approaching the midpoint of the year, and I'm filled with gratitude and pride as I reflect on the powerful work we’ve accomplished together. From uplifting young voices through our Summer Fellowship program to taking a public stand for immigrant justice, IAJE continues to lead with courage, care, and creativity.

Standing for Kerlin: A Father, A Neighbor, A Community Member

Kerlin Moreno Orellana, a hardworking father and long-time Jackson resident, was detained by ICE while doing his job—acting at the direction of his employer. His white supervisor was released the same day. Kerlin remains behind bars.

This glaring injustice highlights the racial inequities and structural violence immigrant families face daily. Kerlin’s wife shared in a statement:

"My husband has been a beloved Jacksonian for 16 years, always willing to help his neighbors. I will continue to fight for justice and will bring Kerlin back home to our family. We miss him terribly," said Kerlin's wife who is choosing not to identify herself. "Kerlin is the financial provider for our family of four young children and until he returns, we need help from our community to pay our bills and feed our family. We are very grateful for any help you can offer."

We are urging our community to take action—sign the petition and support his family.

IAJE continues to organize a coordinated response to demand Kerlin’s immediate release and reunification with his family.

Reconciliation Bill Latest

As the Senate advances the federal budget reconciliation bill, IAJE is organizing to ensure Mississippi’s immigrant communities are not left behind. While billions are being directed toward detention and enforcement, we are demanding that those funds be invested in care, protection, and opportunity—not punishment. In response to recent ICE activity and arrests across Mississippi, our team is holding Know Your Rights trainings, mobilizing allies, and uplifting the voices of those most impacted. We are actively monitoring the reconciliation process as the bill moves to the House, where final decisions will be made in the coming days. Through coalition meetings, grassroots outreach, and rapid-response messaging, we are making it clear: Mississippi’s immigrant communities will not be silent.

Summer Fellowship: Art as Resistance

We wrapped up another inspiring fellowship here at IAJE! This year’s theme, Art as Resistance, brought together powerful young adults from across Mississippi to explore how creative expression, art, and can be a tool for organizing, identity, and collective liberation. Through painting, banner-making, and discussion, fellows reflected on their lived experiences and shared bold visions for a more just future. Their art speaks not only to the challenges they face but to the power they hold.

We teach Art as Resistance as the founding principle of this fellowship because it fights erasure. For communities whose stories are often ignored, rewritten, or silenced, art becomes a way to reclaim voice, visibility, and truth. Through creative expression, people document their lived experiences, preserve culture, and challenge systems that seek to erase them. Art makes resistance visible—it sparks action and reminds the world that we are here, and we matter.

Here at IAJE, we are fueled by the energy, creativity, and courage of young people. Their voices drive our work forward, pushing us to reimagine what justice looks like in Mississippi and beyond.

Kulturales Konexiones (Kultural Konnections)

Kultural Konnections (Kulturales Konexiones) was born out of a deep need to build community in the face of fear and ICE enforcement. Our communities cannot afford to wait in hiding—we must gather, organize, and lead.

These events are intentionally crafted community gatherings where neighbors can come together to share food, stories, and lived experiences. More than just meetings, they are spaces of celebration, resistance, healing, and collective learning—designed to bring together current organizers and future leaders.

Each event features activities such as storytelling circles, healing practices, artistic expression, Know Your Rights training, Detention Allyship workshops, and more. We hold this space to uplift and center the voices of Black, Brown, immigrant, and working-class communities.

Kultural Konnections honors our cultural traditions while building new ones rooted in solidarity and shared power. By building trust and cultural pride, we transform fear into action, isolation into belonging, and conversation into community power.

Families USA Health Justice Panel

On a national level, IAJE’s Founder and Executive Director was honored to join the Families USA Health Justice Panel, which featured prominent leaders including:

Jarvis Dortch, ACLU of Mississippi
Cassandra Welchlin, Black Women’s Roundtable
Charles Taylor, NAACP Mississippi
Roy Mitchell, Mississippi Health Advocacy Program
Lorena Quiroz, Executive Director, IAJE MS
Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Families USA

The gathering featured powerful discussions about the intersections of health equity, racial justice, and immigrant rights. I shared IAJE’s work on language access, our programs, and the structural barriers immigrant families face accessing care in Mississippi. The panel reinforced the urgent need for systems rooted in equity and cultural competence.

What’s Ahead for IAJE?

We’re gearing up for our community flea market —a vibrant space where families can access gently used goods and community resources, all while supporting local vendors and creatives. This is more than just a market; it’s a celebration of culture, connection, and collective care as we prepare families to begin a new school year.

Whether you’re showing up to support families at the market or supporting IAJE through your generous donation, we are grateful for your dedication—because we can't do this meaningful work alone.

Thank you for being in this fight with us. Together, we are building a Mississippi where all families thrive.

In solidarity,
Lorena Quiroz
Executive Director

The IAJE Connect Newsletter