CARECEN | History

CARECEN's History and the History behind CARECEN

Established in 1981 and incorporated in 1982, the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), originally named the Central American Refugee Center, was founded to protect the rights of refugees from Central America's wars and provide direct legal services that would ease their transition to their new home.

During the 1980s and 1990s, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala suffered from civil wars, while Honduras suffered more than a decade of civil strife in the form of a "dirty war". This period also saw mass migration from Central America to neighboring countries, Mexico and the United States. Prior to 1980, the United States limited its recognition of refugees and asylees to those fleeing from communist governments, while the 1951 United Nations Convention and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees more generally accepted the definition of refugees and asylees as those fleeing their country from political oppression. The Refugee Act of 1980, signed into law by Jimmy Carter, established the definitions of asylum and refugee status in line with those of the United Nations. However, the United States was still in the midst of the Cold War, which strongly influenced public recognition of civil war and political oppression around the world. For example, 98% of Salvadoran requests for asylum were denied, while approximately the same percentage of Nicaraguans who claimed to be fleeing from a far leftist government was granted political asylum.

1981
CARECEN opens its doors to offer immigration-related legal services to Salvadoran refugees fleeing political violence and human rights abuses in their country to seek political asylum in the United States.

1981-1989
Throughout the 1980s CARECEN mobilizes to organize support for Central Americans already in the United States to be granted refugee status. CARECEN begins training "rights promoters" to educate the community on worker, immigrant, and tenant rights and develop leadership skills among members.

During the 1980s, CARECEN played a key role in organizing and helped in the initial stages of several projects and organizations that aimed to provide relief for those coming as refugees from Central America, such as Casa de Maryland and La Clínica Del Pueblo. The latter was founded in 1983 by a coalition of community members and activists, with support from the Mayor's Office of Latino Affairs, to respond to the pressing health care needs of the new refugee population. La Clínica began as a one-room facility with a volunteer doctor offering its services one night a week. La Clinica was an integral part of CARECEN for 12 years, until 1995, when it became a separate nonprofit entity. The decision to make La Clínica an independent entity was part of a strategic planning process conducted by CARECEN with technical assistance from the Center for Community Change.

In 1985 the American Baptist Church (ABC) filed and consequently won a suit on behalf of Guatemalan and Salvadorans nationals in the United States who had been denied asylum against the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Their claim was based on the rate of denial of asylum applications. The suit, American Baptist Church v. Thornburgh, resulted in the stay of deportations as well as new asylum trials, although there was no guarantee of asylum or eventual residency. CARECEN welcomed this modest victory and begun an organizing and coalition development drive to advocate for suspension of deportation to ABC class members. This provision allowed Guatemalans and Salvadorans to file for adjustment of status and permanent residency under the following conditions: their asylum applications been denied, there was proof of good character over seven years of residency in the United States, and returning to the home country would be considered an "extreme hardship."

In 1987 the Reagan Administration recognized the communist Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua by establishing the Nicaraguan Review Program (NRP) to give Nicaraguans who had been denied asylum a second review.

1990-1999
During the 1990s CARECEN develops community support services to help clients with vital tasks such as filling out applications for jobs, insurance or housing, translating and interpreting documents/letters, applying for public services, initiating job searches, and any other matters brought to the agency.

In October of 1990, after more than a decade of denial, the United States government recognized the civil war in El Salvador, as the Attorney General extended a discretionary order of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to Salvadorans in the United States, which expired in 1992, at which time a Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) was granted.

In 1995, the Nicaraguan Review Program (NRP) ended, leaving Nicaraguans in legal limbo, while in 1996, the Suspension of Deportation (SoD) provision under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 was eliminated by the United States Congress. When both the NRP and the ABC registration period were coming to an end, CARECEN presented a "petition for rulemaking" to the Clinton Administration. This document became the precedent for advocating on behalf of the NACARA law.

In 1995, CARECEN starts citizenship classes to prepare immigrants who were becoming eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. The community had already started to develop roots in the United States and CARECEN started to promote citizenship as the primary empowerment tool for its constituents.

In 1997, Congress consequently passed the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), which included Nicaraguans, Cubans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans. The Act drew a distinction between similarly situated individuals and acted on ideological grounds, as Nicaraguans and Cubans fleeing from communist regimes received permanent residency under Section 202, while Salvadorans and Guatemalans received only cancellation of deportation and the opportunity to apply for asylum under Section 203.

During late 1990s CARECEN launches civic participation programs to help community members participate in advocacy before local city and neighborhood government agencies and institutions, especially on issues of immigration and civil rights.

2000-present
CARECEN first advocated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the early 1990s, at the end of the civil war in El Salvador, and more recently following the hurricane Mitch in Honduras, in 1998 and the earthquakes in El Salvador, in 2001. TPS was granted to Honduran, Salvadoran and Nicaraguan immigrants in the United States. Temporary Protected Status was recently extended for Hondurans (until July 2010) and for Salvadorans (until September 2010), as the Department of Homeland Security stated that extreme poverty and untenable conditions after these natural disasters warrant the extension of this status.

From 2000 and onward CARECEN develops the Housing and Community Action Program to help renters in the District defend their rights as tenants and to take advantage of first right of purchase legislation to become homeowners, especially through organizing tenant associations. CARECEN acquires properties at 1460-1464 Columbia Road to create its future offices and affordable housing units for low-and moderate-income families.

In 2002, CARECEN led an effort to organize a national network of Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Honduran community-based organizations. This Immigration Taskforce for Central America (ITCA) now includes over 40 advocacy groups and organizations representing 15 states, and is geared to support national immigration initiatives that affect the Central American community in the United States. As part of the Immigration Taskforce for Central Americans, CARECEN has been closely involved in the promotion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans, Nicaraguans and Hondurans so that individuals under these programs can remain in the United States.

Attempts such as the Central American and Caribbean Refugee Adjustment Act of 1998 proposed in the House by Representative Luis Gutierrez and in the Senate by Senators Durbin and Kennedy as well as the Central American Security Act (CASA) of 2003 proposed in the House by Representatives Davis, Berman, Diaz-Balart, Ros-Lehtinen and others have failed to expand the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA). CARECEN was involved in the promotion and support of the Central American Security Act (CASA) again in 2005. This proposed immigration legislation would amend the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) enacted in 1997, by granting permanent residence to the many Hondurans, Salvadoran and Nicaraguans that were left out of the first NACARA legislation.

In 2005, CARECEN moved into its new offices, at 1460 Columbia Road NW. The successful completion of the Capital Campaign and renovations to this mixed-use facility has helped CARECEN achieve its dual goals of providing long-term stability for its programs and services and preserving safe and affordable housing for low-income Latino residents of the Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods. The new building complex provides expanded and new services for the D.C. metro area's Latino community. The community educational center/citizenship school provides more spacious facilities and can accommodate more students and classes throughout the year. A large salon and a conference room in the office building offer space for community forums, training sessions, cultural activities and discussions on issues of interest to the community.

2006 was marked by many efforts on behalf of comprehensive immigration reform, and CARECEN took an active role in mobilizations that drew approximately 1.25 million participants across the country. In March and April our community joined rallies organized to oppose Congressional Bill HR-4437, criminalizing undocumented workers and all those who help them. CARECEN helped inform constituents on key issues such as legalization as a path to citizenship for the undocumented, worker rights, civil rights and civil liberties, and the DREAM Act. In the same year CARECEN conducted civic engagement activities including voter registration and education in the light of the local election.

CARECEN continues efforts to support and advance our community through economic development projects fighting gentrification across the metro area, in educating the community on rights and responsibilities, and advocating on behalf of immigration reform and civil rights at local and national level.