Community Asylum Seekers Project

Founded in 2016, the Community Asylum Seekers Project (CASP), based in Brattleboro, VT, is a leading organization in Southern Vermont that provides critical services, basic needs, and community for individuals and families seeking asylum in the U.S. Since its founding, CASP has offered direct services to more than 25 asylum seekers from Latin America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa seeking a life free from violence, persecution and torture, as well as reunification with loved ones. We partner with state and nationwide immigration justice movements and elected officials to advocate for asylum seekers’ rights and dignity. CASP seeks to reduce the struggles and stresses that asylum seekers face every day by improving access to food, shelter, healthcare and other daily needs as they resettle in our community, and assistance in navigating the complex asylum claim process with the help of dedicated legal teams. We host educational events and workshops about migration justice, trauma, and anti-racism to facilitate increased public understanding and awareness about asylum seekers and their lived experience. A founding initiative called “Safe Haven,” a living space for an asylum-seeking family, was built with the dedicated support of community members. Since then, CASP has offered housing, legal aid, language learning, school enrollment, medical and mental healthcare, job training and placement, and other services. In addition, CASP works with a statewide grassroots coalition which has offered direct support to 125 asylum seekers and counting. In 2022, CASP launched the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) in partnership with immigrant support organizations in Vermont to address the shortage of pro bono immigration attorneys in the state and broaden access to justice for asylum seeking families. Today, VAAP is providing legal representation to 8 asylum seekers and working with partners to meet legal needs of the state’s Afghan population.