Oasis Legal Services

The Oasis Community ✨🌈

Every Donor Counts!

Help Oasis Legal Services reach 1st place with a minimum donation of $10 by May 30! Each unique donor who gives at least $10 counts as a point and each point get us closer to 1st place. The organization with the largest donor base by 11:59PM EST on May 30 will win the 1st place grand prize of $10,000. 

Oasis will use this award to further our mission of helping LGBTQ+ immigrants find permanent safety after fleeing violence and persecution based on their sexuality, gender, and/or HIV-status. Once you donate, please consider sharing this page with your community to expand our reach.

Who We Are

MJ's Story

MJ is a proud Mexican trans man. In 2007, when MJ was in his early teens, he and his younger brother made the almost month-long journey to the U.S. 

Although gay marriage is legal in Mexico, Mexican authorities have a longstanding history of ignoring crimes against LGBTQ+ people. In 2023, Mexico’s first openly non-binary magistrate, a prominent LGBTQ+ activist, was murdered in their home, leading to international outcry  for the lack of investigation and dismissive attitude toward the tragedy. 

“Gay and transgender populations are regularly attacked and killed in Mexico. The brutality of some of the attacks is meant to send a message to Queer people that they are not welcome in society.” - Time Magazine (January 2024)

MJ shared with his caseworker: “If I had remained in my country, I don’t know if I would even be alive.”

In 2023, MJ felt safe opening up to a close friend who helped him realize his trans identity - a fact he always knew but previously did not have the language for. To that same friend, MJ expressed fear of being sent back to Mexico as a trans man. His friend told him to contact Oasis for help.

After 16 years of living in the U.S., MJ doubted that any immigration attorney would take his case: “I’m still in shock…As an undocumented transgender man, things don’t come easy. It seemed too good to be true that an organization like Oasis existed - let alone would help me.” 

We worked closely with MJ to file his asylum application in November 2023. Already, this made him eligible for a work permit and he can breathe a little easier without the imminent threat of deportation. 

There are other organizations that serve LGBTQ+ or immigrant populations, but very few are dedicated to providing services to people who live at this intersection. We are the leading provider of legal services for LGBTQ+ immigrants on the West Coast, and the only LGBTQ+ immigration provider in the country to incorporate social services navigation.

As MJ waits to hear back from the U.S. government about his asylum interview, he has plenty to look forward to: “I want to go back to school. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher. Another goal is to have my own business with my family. I would like to be my own boss. For now, I’m waiting to see what happens with my legal status.”

Our approval rate for asylum, residency, and citizenship cases remains at 99%.

Thank You for Supporting Oasis 🌈 !

Read about our impact in 2023