The Immigration Affairs Office, the Community Immigration Law Center, Centro Hispano of Dane County, and Madison College are all partnering to host the fourth Immigration Resource Fair on Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Centro Hispano on Madison’s South Side. The annual event provides a vital opportunity for immigrant and refugee families to learn about the available support and resources and connect with community organizations dedicated to assisting them.
“This Immigration Resource Fair is very important because we give our immigrant community, our refugee community, an opportunity to come and get resources,” Fabiola Hamdan, the immigration affairs supervisor for Dane County Department of Human Services, tells Madison365. “We are rich in resources, fortunately, here in Dane County, and so we put together informational tables for the event. The one big highlight here is that we have immigration attorneys that are in town who are going to be doing consults for free, so you have an opportunity not only to get the resources but to ask any immigration questions that you might have.
“It’s also an opportunity for people to see the new Centro Hispano building and find out about all of the great programming that they have,” Hamdan says.
The Immigration Resource Fair aims to educate attendees about year-round services and resources available to the Dane County community, particularly for immigrant and refugee families facing uncertainties.
(Photo: Fabiola Hamdan)
“It’s important for people to feel safe, especially during these times when we are experiencing a lot of discussion around immigration and the political atmosphere is not the best and elections are around the corner,” Hamdan says. “This event is a chance to put in people’s minds, a sense of unity, or a sense that people are here for them. You’re not alone. Our community is super supportive and welcoming of our newcomers.
“It’s a resource fair, but at the same time, it’s a celebration of different cultures and people,” she adds.
The Immigration Resource Fair will feature free consultations with immigration attorneys from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., a know-your-rights presentation at 10 a.m., and an asylum orientation at noon.
“We’re lucky to live in this county where we can encounter all kinds of resources. The community always comes together to do these types of activities,” Hamdan says. “We have volunteers. We have informational tables. We have immigration attorneys taking time out of their busy schedules to do free consultations.
“We are going to have some refreshments, too. We’re going to have a positive vibe and message. It’s a fair, so we want to make it a little festive,” Hamdan says. “We will have el mercadito going on outside, so people can come and get some food and other things. So we’re hoping for some good weather.”
The event is free and open to the public.
“This Immigration Resource Fair is open to everybody. We used to do it only for the Latinx or Latina community, but now it’s open to everybody,” Hamdan says. “Since we first started, we have been learning how to do this event better each year and to include more people.”
Centro Hispano is located at 2403 Cypress Way in Madison. For more information about the Immigration Resource Fair, contact Fabiola Hamdan at (608) 335-5739 or [email protected].
