A welcome center for immigrants is coming to Lincolnia
We Are CASA, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of immigrants and working-class families, is developing a Welcome Center in Lincolnia.
The center will be located at 6462 Little River Turnpike in a building that formerly housed the InFirst Federal Credit Union. CASA purchased the 11,000-square-foot building in 2025 and is in the process of renovating it.
Luis Aguilar, the director of CASA’s Virginia branch, anticipates the work will be completed by the end of 2027.
We Are CASA’s Fairfax Welcome Center will offer the same kind of services provided by CASA’s welcome center in Woodbridge in Prince William County, Aguilar said.
Those services include English language classes, help with the naturalization process, preparation for the citizenship test, rapid response to ICE enforcement operations, referrals to health services and attorneys, “know your rights” training, leadership development, and assistance for non-citizens applying for driver privilege cards.
The facility will have a dedicated Workers Center providing vocational training, workforce development, connections with employers, and a safe place for people seeking short-term jobs. Day laborers and house cleaners shouldn’t have to wait around in front of a 7-Eleven or grocery store, Aguilar said. Instead, they could be learning English at the center while waiting to be picked up for jobs.
“We want to get the center up and running as fast as possible,” he said. “The immigrant community is under siege. It’s important to have a place where the immigrant community is welcome.”
The renovations include a new entrance and lobby and a new flexible multipurpose room for classes, meetings, civic engagement activities, and community celebrations.
“The center isn’t just for immigrants,” he said. “There are a lot of working folks, including citizens, who need help learning English and navigating the healthcare system.”
Security systems will be implemented to prevent ICE agents and others from harassing people seeking help at the center. “We take security very seriously,” Aguilar said.
The Fairfax Welcome Center is expected to serve 3,500 people in its first two years.
“The center is an investment in programs and, more importantly, in the people,” said We Are CASA Executive Director George Escobar in a press release. “We see true leadership in their ability to build a better future for their families and communities. Once built and renovated, the Fairfax Welcome Center will be a beacon of resilience to build up the skills and collective power needed to achieve economic stability over the long term.”
Related story: Jimenez condemns ICE agent’s intimidation of a U.S. citizen
Hopefully Legal Immigrants –
ABSOLUTELY NOT
How did I know this article would bring our the racists.
This is fantastic. What a great resource it will be for incoming residents.
100%. Love this.
I reported this article to ICE.
Welcome!
Wilma, sweet woman …. You need to go into your heart and find the nice person you can be. Love all people and they’ll see YOU – NOT a hater……🎈
Thank you very little, Wilma B. Immigrants have built this country and are the only ones who take the low-paying jobs that are essential for our society’s economic well-being.
Get educated or LEAVE.
What a beautiful and humane thing to do. This center will help our fellow human beings and I am for it 100%. Do you need volunteers?
Fabulous idea. In these dark times look for the helpers.
To Pro-Img: No, AMERICANS built this country.
To Wilmna Barnicle: I hope you really did. Thank you!!
The “Americans” you’re thinking of, yourself included, are literally all immigrants or descendants of immigrants.
Yep…my ancestors came thru Ellis Island, they didn’t sneak in thru the back door.
And you are very proud of the America your grandparents/parents built for you, aren’t you?
Where did they come from again?
Or are you an American Indian?
Let’s be realistic about history: Native American tribes weren’t a monolith. They were distinct nations that fought over land and resources for centuries before Europeans arrived. The truth is, no one can trace the ‘original’ owner of any land because, throughout human history, borders have always been taken and defended by force. Today, we live under a legal framework where borders matter. An ‘American’ is a legal citizen of the United States, not someone who bypassed our legal system to cross the border.
Exactly!
Read the pre-history of America, check out the book “1491”. Native Americans continually feuded and fought though sources of food were abundant, rivers full of fish, reefs of oysters in coastal areas, lobsters, ducks, geese, deer, etc., corn grown on cleared forested land.
I fully agree … but you still hear “I’m a REAL American” my ancestors came over on the Mayflower ( which by the way would have gone strait to bottom of the sea with the weight of all the people whose ancestors are here😳)
my problem is that a big portion of people being deported ARE here legally, some even born here.
What about people with green cards being deported … what about people with special permits to pick fruits being deported?
Wasn’t the whole idea of ICE to get criminals and drugdealers out.
A law is a law and it should be enforced … not by covered up un-learned trigger happy people….
I’m for immigration…as long as is done legally. Anyone who enters the country illegally does not have rights that are afforded to US citizens. Try going to Mexico and demanding rights and see how far that gets you.
I seem to recall someone writing about “inalienable rights”. Pretty sure they meant everyone, but maybe my definition of “inalienable” is different from yours.
And before you suggest otherwise, this obviously doesn’t include ALL rights. But the ones that matter most still apply, regardless of how someone got here.
I’m pretty sure most other countries, Mexico included, would treat you better than the way the US treats immigrants, legal or otherwise.
FYI — U.S. population is about 343 million in 2026. More than 1 million persons are allowed to legally immigrate to the U.S. every year. About 40 million U.S. Residents are living in poverty in 2026, and another 50 million are living close to poverty.
If one visits the National Park Service’s Jamestown Visitor’s Center one will see that Virginia was colonized on the basis of human and environmental exploitation…Slavery began in 1619.
Not speaking for Letty, but I think the point was EVERYONE could have a heritage month of some sort or another and by calling out just a few, you’re being divisive not inclusive. Assimilate and celebrate July 4th.
What I see inside the VA Beltway is the same political party controlling everyone and everything for decades and governing to benefit itself and its favored interests that share its agenda. DEI? How about an Eastern European Heritage Month? A Northern European Heritage Month?
What are you doing about it to get those months created? Start a campaign if that it means that much to you (I know it doesn’t).
One Party Government inside the NoVA Beltway for decades only cares about itself and making it’s favored interests wealthy and happy.
Arrest and deport all illegals – prosecute any organization aiding and abetting illegal immigration. Playtime is over.
What a sweet person you are …. Bet you’re on your knees every Sunday thanking your god for letting you be a white Christian male…
I agree with Paul, and I am a Hispanic person who came to the wonderful country legally.
who is paying for this? are tax payers paying to stop federal agents from doing their jobs?