Alaska Institute for Justice

Overview

Founded in 2005, the Alaska Institute for Justice is the only agency in Alaska dedicated to protecting the human rights of immigrants and refugees. Based in Anchorage and Juneau, our staff provides statewide comprehensive immigration legal services, as well as language interpretation and translation services throughout Alaska. Collectively, AIJ Board and Staff have more than 25 years of legal experience serving Alaska’s immigrants and refugees.

AIJ staff provides services statewide, traveling to many communities throughout Alaska including, Unalaska, Sitka, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Juneau, Fairbanks, Kenai and Homer. AIJ’s legal service priorities include representing immigrant crime victims and people fleeing persecution and torture in their home countries. Our staff also assists human trafficking victims and Alaskan families seeking to reunite with family members residing outside of the United States.

In addition to providing quality direct legal services, AIJ staff members serve as a critical resource for state and federal public agencies on issues involving immigrants and refugees. Health care providers, social service providers, state officials, criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges are just a few of the professionals in our state who rely on the expertise of the AIJ staff.

Adaptation Work:

A rapidly changing climate in the Arctic is dramatically impacting the health and well-being of Alaska Native communities. Erosion and repeated extreme weather events damage infrastructure, including health clinics, water and sewage treatment facilities. Saline intrusion and thawing permafrost impact access to potable water. In the most extreme cases, accelerating rates of erosion are life-threatening and are causing Alaska Native communities to choose to relocate their entire community. AIJ is conducting research that strives to increase the adaptive capacity of Alaska Native communities experiencing the impacts of climate-induced environmental change on their health and well-being.  

Focuses:

Environmental Justice

Community-based Monitoring and Assessment for Climate Resilience

Disaster Displacement

Rights, Resilience and Community-led Relocation