Redemptorists minister to immigrants with a variety of needs: some wish to pursue permanent residency and citizenship; others wish to bring their family members to the U.S. Still others have cases that involve asylum or fear of persecution in their homeland, and require court advocacy. The Juan Neumann Center, which opened in New York in January 2003 with its volunteer social workers, also assists with employment and housing issues. The same social workers lend support to immigrants (the majority of whom are women) seeking residency who are threatened by spousal abuse and thus restrained from establishing residency or citizenship. Immigrants who have religious and spiritual needs also come to the center seeking comfort and advice. Ministering to immigrants' needs Among the many services performed by the center, mediation between immigrants and employers who hold back or refuse to pay just wages presents a particular challenge. Immigrants fear the authorities and may not have legal recourse to recover their wages. The center advocates for these people with their employers and often reclaims their pay. The center also lobbies for better legislation in association with VOICES FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE, which meets monthly in the Archdiocesan Center in New York to protect immigrants' rights. The center's staff Fr. Ruskin Piedra, C.Ss.R., who represents the Redemptorists for the center, is supported by a dedicated staff that includes a pro-bono lawyer, four full-time workers, a volunteer, and two social workers. To this date, five of the staff have taken the Basic Immigration Law Course toward accreditation by the Board of Immigration Appeals. As a Redemptorist, Fr. Piedra is grateful to serve those who are so needy and frequently cannot pay for the services they require. "It is very fulfilling and demanding," he says, "to reach out to the poorest and most abandoned. These are the new poor that are coming to our shores. We are grateful that God gives us the opportunity to offer them a place of safety."