The Dane County Department of Human Services Immigration Affairs Office, in conjunction with the Mexican Mobile Consulate, Madison College, Centro Hispano, and many other non-profit organizations, is getting set to host the first annual Immigration Resource Fair this weekend. The two-day event will take place Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Madison College South Campus.
“We are excited to be hosting this event for the first time and for so many great organizations coming together to have this Immigration Resource Fair,” Fabiola Hamdan, Dane County immigration affairs specialist, tells Madison365. “We will have information tables with immigration-related material. The Mexican Consulate is coming and we will have immigration attorneys that will do a free consultation for people that have questions about immigration status or that want to apply for something.”
Attendees will have an opportunity to consult with Madison College’s Legal Clinic volunteer lawyers, learn about creating an emergency contact plan, meet with area community organizations who provide immigration resources, have documents notarized, and much more.
(Photo by A. David Dahmer)
“This is a family-oriented fair and we are taking a lot of precautions for COVID and are requiring masks,” Hamdan says. “Also, we have [Dane County] Public Health coming to do vaccinations for children 5 and up.”
The Pfizer vaccine will be available for children 5 and older and the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson will be available for those 18 and older.
Hamdan says there will be many similarities to the annual El Dia de Los Ninos event that she has helped organize over the years in that many non-profit organizations are coming together and there will be a plethora of resources available.
“We need a space for immigrants that is safe,” she says. “The organizations that will be at this event are well-known by the immigrant population and we hope that people come without fear to get information and resources. This is how we make communities more secure and more confident. It’s a very family-friendly event.
“I think events like this are very important because they bring us together and help improve our community,” Hamdan adds. “This is free and open to the public and we would love to extend the invitation to anybody that is around this weekend, and hopefully we will provide great information and resources.”
For more information about the Immigration Resource Fair, call 608-242-6260
