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ALMA Fund

Providing stability and support to immigrant families facing sudden detention or deportation.

Donate to the ALMA Fund
How to apply

ALMA Fund

Providing stability and support to immigrant families facing sudden detention or deportation.

Donate to the ALMA Fund
How to apply

When a family’s primary earner is detained or deported, the financial impact is immediate and severe.

The ALMA Program provides rapid, dignified support to help immigrant families stay afloat during one of the most challenging moments of their lives. Through direct cash assistance, financial services, and community connections, ALMA shows up for impacted families when it matters most.

Immigration detention often results in the sudden loss of household income—up to 63% on average, or $51,200 annually.

Families risk eviction, food insecurity, job loss, and emotional distress—often within weeks. 1 in 3 immigrant families spend over half their income on housing.

Over 5 million U.S. citizen children live with an undocumented family member. When families are separated, it causes deep emotional stress and financial hardship—especially when the primary breadwinner is lost.

Imagine waking up one day and your family’s provider is gone.

No warning. No paycheck. No plan. Just fear—and the crushing weight of survival.

For immigrant families, this is not hypothetical.

A single mother of 3 young children was detained by ICE while at work, leaving the eldest to take care of his younger brothers, saying: 

“I just hope I get my mom back.”
(source)

This is the moment everything unravels:

Kids pulled from school. Parents are too afraid to go to work.

Rent, food, and bills go unpaid.

Families are losing everything—jobs, housing, stability.

Our Response: The ALMA Program

When families are thrust into chaos, ALMA shows up—fast, with no strings attached.

It’s emergency relief. It’s dignity. It’s hope in action. In the face of fear and uncertainty, ALMA steps in with compassion, speed, and strength.

ALMA provides rapid-response cash assistance, financial services, and community support to help families regain stability and preserve dignity during an immigration emergency.

Immediate Financial Relief

Direct emergency grants to help families cover rent, food, and essentials in the aftermath of detention or deportation.

Financial Coaching

One-on-one coaching, zero-interest credit building loans, and self-advocacy tools to support long-term resilience.

Community-Led Support

ALMA connects families with trusted local organizations and services, forming a network of care, advocacy, and belonging.

    Join Us in Showing Up for Immigrant Families – This Is the Moment to Act

    It will take all of us—philanthropy, nonprofits, and local leaders—to show up for immigrant families in a meaningful way. The immigration system may be broken, but our response doesn’t have to be. We can meet this moment—together.

    Invest in Impact

    Philanthropic grants help us expand to new communities and deliver deeper support. If you’re a funder, your support doesn’t just help—it transforms lives at the most critical moments.

    Contact Us

    Partner with Us

    We’re building a nationwide network to support immigrant families. If your organization shares this mission, we want to work with you. If you’re a nonprofit, legal aid provider, or local government agency, we can bring ALMA to your community.

    Explore Partnership

    Donate today

    Support the ALMA Fund. Every dollar goes directly to families navigating unimaginable loss and hardship. Stand with immigrant families facing separation and uncertainty.

    Donate

    The ALMA Fund is not just about responding to crisis—it’s about preserving dignity and supporting resilience.

    “In times like these, it’s not enough to believe in justice—we must act on it.” 

    -José Quiñonez, MAF CEO.

    Read full statement

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • What is the ALMA Grant Program?

      The ALMA Grant Program helps families maintain stability during an immigration crisis. As funding is available, families receive a grant, access to financial services, and community support as they navigate through the challenges and uncertainties of a primary income earner’s immigration removal or detention.

    • What does "ALMA" stand for?

      While "ALMA" is an acronym for Ayuda para Las familias Migrantes en Adversidad (Assistance for Immigrant Families in Adversity), it also holds a deeper meaning. "Alma" is the Spanish word for "soul," embodying the profound and heartfelt support to families navigating the challenging realities of immigration detention and removal.

    • Where is the ALMA Grant Program currently available?

      The ALMA Grant Program's model is designed for scalability, meaning it can be implemented wherever there's funding available. We're actively seeking mission-aligned funders to expand our reach and bring this critical assistance to more communities in need.

    • What kind of support do ALMA grants provide?

      Grants are meant to help families cover essential living expenses such as housing, food, utilities, transportation, and other urgent needs that arise from an immigration emergency.