Direct financial relief to those impacted by
immigration enforcement and detention.

Legal aid, immigration bonds, commissary funds, and emergency support — for those who need it most, when they need it most.

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Over 4,000 donors have already stepped up. Join them.

501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Nonprofit
EIN: 41-4973663
Founded 2026, Maplewood NJ
Donations Tax-Deductible to the Extent Permitted by Law
Our Mission

Standing with our immigrant
neighbors when it matters most

Who We Serve

We provide targeted aid to immigrants whose lives have been upended by detention and deportation — including those detained, those at risk, and the families left behind.

What We Do

We deliver direct financial assistance — cutting through bureaucracy to meet urgent needs wherever people end up, and whatever those needs turn out to be.

Our Commitment

We believe mutual aid is an essential lifeline. Your donation goes directly where it is needed most — quickly, transparently, and with deep respect for the dignity of every person we serve.

Our Principles

What we believe

01

Everyone Deserves to Live with Dignity

No matter the circumstances of someone's arrival or status, every person deserves to be treated with humanity and respect.

02

Everyone Deserves Due Process

Access to legal representation and a fair process should not depend on wealth or connections. We help close that gap.

03

Families Must Be Kept Together

Detention tears families apart. We work to minimize that harm — funding bonds, legal support, and family connection wherever we can.

04

Community Care Is Our Strength

The most powerful response to crisis is a community that refuses to look away. We exist because ours didn't.

How We Help

Targeted financial assistance
where it's needed most

Legal

Legal and Bond Assistance

We fund legal fees, filing costs, and immigration bonds for those who need it most — direct to service providers — reviewed case by case, with no fixed dollar ceiling.

Detention

Commissary & Communication

We fund commissary and communication accounts for detained individuals so they can meet basic needs and stay connected to their families — wherever they end up being held.

Flexible

Flexible Support

We cover emergency expenses for those recently released from detention — medical costs, transportation, and other essential needs in the critical days after release.

Real Impact

What your support
makes possible

These are not statistics. They are people — and these are some of the things we have been able to do for them.

Bond Funds

We have funded immigration bonds leading to the near-immediate release of multiple detainees — getting people back to their families when it matters most.

Getting Home

When detainees are released from facilities across the country, they are often not returned their identification documents — making air travel impossible. We fund air travel when we can, and bus rides home when we need to, no matter how far. Everyone needs to get home.

Legal Support

We have committed funding to over 25 legal cases, covering attorney fees, filing costs, and representation for individuals navigating an overwhelming immigration system.

Work Permit & Application Fees

For visa applicants beginning their path to independence, we cover work permit and application fees — a small investment that opens the door to self-sufficiency.

Commissary & Communication

Detainees can be transferred to facilities far from home with little warning. We fund accounts so they can meet basic needs and stay connected — wherever they are sent.

"The right to fair treatment under the law belongs to everyone."

None of this is possible without a community that shows up. Your gift makes the difference.

Our Story

Neighbors helping neighbors

SOMA Community Cares was founded by South Orange and Maplewood residents who recognized that crisis — particularly for immigrant families — demands an immediate, compassionate response. Through our volunteer work serving families of those detained at Delaney Hall, we saw families torn apart, left without adequate support, and lacking the resources to navigate an overwhelming system.

We established SOMA Community Cares as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to provide targeted, formal funding in a space largely carried by informal mutual aid and individual fundraising campaigns. Our goal was never to replace that work — but to complement it, mobilizing our community's generosity and directing it where it's needed most.

We work in close collaboration with many organizations working toward the same goal: ensuring families and those detained are supported peacefully and with dignity. Our work is guided by the belief that our community must leave no one behind.

Who We Are
Founded in 2026 by South Orange and Maplewood residents. Volunteer-run, transparent, and committed to keeping every dollar as close to the people who need it as possible.
Get in Touch

We'd love to hear from you

Mailing Address P.O. Box 1006, Maplewood, NJ 07040
Response Time We are a volunteer-run organization and will respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible.

Thank you — we'll be in touch as soon as we can.