HIAS Pennsylvania

HIAS Pennsylvania, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, is committed to the Jewish prinicple of welcoming the stranger. They work to welcome immigrants to the community and ensure that they are safe and that their rights are respected. Among the programs HIAS offers to immigrants are legal counseling and representation, social services including citizenship and refugee resettlement, and immigration-related advocacy and education.

Originally founded as the Association for Jewish Immigrants, the organization's original misson was to welcome the large influx of Jewish immigrants to America. It has since expanded to include all immigrants, aiming to fully integrate them into American socirty.

HIAS Pennsylvania aims to impact the immigrant community by preventing poverty and exploitation, and ensuring that families stay together and transition smoothly into American life. It also works to provide education on immigrant affairs to human-service and health-care providers and the general public. In the past year of 2011, HIAS has succeeded in resettling 159 refugees, litigating 386 citizenship cases, and providing 927 people with comprehensive legal services. It has also helped 221 people seek legal permanent resident status through its Asylee Outreach Program.