CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Javier Raudales knows accepting the position of Executive Director at Sin Barreras will come with challenges. “I just kind of asked myself what would I want to during these years say I was doing” Raudales said in an interview on Cville Right Now Live, “and this seemed like the right thing to be leading an organization that has every time I’ve worked for them and volunteered, has been really community focused, which in a nonprofit that is something really precious.”

Sin Barreras, Spanish for “without barriers”, is a 501(c)3 non-profit located in Charlottesville that was founded in 2012 by Fanny Smedile. Their mission is, “to empower immigrants and their families in Central Virginia, with a focus on the Hispanic population, by educating, advocating, and supporting their needs.” The organization provides legal and immigration aid, educates to encourage self-sufficiency through seminars and workshops, and advocates for equitable rights.

“We call it ‘Welcoming and Navigation’,” Raudales explained, “We’ve always tried to have a space where people could come in with confidence and ask whatever question it could be…like navigating the banking system, navigating landlord issues, navigating matriculating in school.”

Since its founding, Sin Barreras has been able to expand its services to better serve those within the community. In addition to legal aid, they have focused on education programs including English classes and even Spanish classes for their volunteers. They also maintain relationships with consulates in Latin American countries in an effort they refer to as “Plaza Comunitaria.” Sin Barreras also hosts the annual Cville Sabroso Festival that celebrates Latin American Culture.

Aiding those seeking paths to citizenship can be a difficult process, however. “I think it’s always useful when I’m in these contexts [to] explain how I think people underestimate how difficult, even before the last seven months it was to navigate immigration status,” said Raudales. A drawn-out legal process with administrative and, for many, language barriers to overcome.

The last seven months that Raudales alluded to have caused fear for Latino communities like those Sin Barreras aims to assist. Under President Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, detainments and deportations initiated by ICE have increased. In April at the Albemarle County Courthouse, three unidentified ICE agents detained two men without coordination with local law enforcement.

Raudales realizes the heightened political climate around immigration will mean a more difficult job for him. For Javier, though, a Charlottesville area resident since he was 10, a graduate of Western Albemarle High School and the University of Virginia, it’s about addressing the needs of his community.

“I knew it was not gonna be easy, but also it’s not easy for the community members I work with. It can be rewarding and you kind of just have to step up and help at some point.”