One Year of Rising Together
By Ember Ward, RISE Hub Project Manager
July 2026
One year ago, Opening Doors helped launch the Sacramento Regional Immigration Support and Empowerment (RISE) Hub—a coalition to strengthen our region's support for immigrant families through coordinated legal services, rapid response efforts, and community education. The Hub is led by Opening Doors in partnership with NorCal Resist, La Familia, CAIR Sacramento, and California Immigration Project.
The RISE Hub was formed to meet an immediate and growing need for this support. On the same day as the press conference officially announcing the Hub, Sacramento saw a mass enforcement raid in a South Sacramento Home Depot, detaining 12 people, including a U.S. citizen and RISE Hub volunteer helping document the activity and connect impacted families with support. For many immigrants, advocates, and community organizations, this raid reinforced the need the RISE Hub’s trusted information, coordinated rapid response, and strong regional partnerships.
Through regular Hub convenings, working groups, and information sharing, organizations across the greater Sacramento region have coordinated resources, identified emerging needs, and developed collective strategies to meet this moment. We've also invested in growing legal capacity by recruiting and training attorneys to expand access to immigration legal support.
As we enter our second year, the need for the RISE Hub and community support continues to grow. The Sacramento RISE Hub strengthens our rapid response systems, expands pro bono and pro se legal support, and provides education for both immigrants and the broader community. Continuing this work will require our whole community, including cross-sector stakeholders from various counties.
Over the past year, I've been continually reminded that our greatest strength isn't any one program or organization, but the people who show up for their neighbors in a moment of real need. Every attorney who takes a pro bono case, every volunteer and community partner who takes action, and every resident who helps build a stronger, more welcoming region for all of us.
There is a role for all of us to play—whether you're an attorney, educator, healthcare provider, faith leader, or simply someone looking to make a difference, there's a place for you in the Sacramento RISE Hub. Sign up to volunteer and or join us at our regular meetings as we build a more connected, informed, and resilient community together.