The Story Behind
Las Hermanitas

While working in immigration law, our Founder & CEO, Nicole M. Norman, met twin sisters from Honduras whose resilience, generosity, and love for their community left a lasting impression. Around that same time, Nicole began witnessing a devastating pattern in immigration law: immigrants losing their cases not because they lacked merit, effort, or courage—but because they lacked money.

Too often, Limited English Proficiency individuals are unable to afford certified interpreters or required document translations. Even more devastating, many non-citizens lose their opportunity to advocate for themselves or pursue lawful pathways to relief and residency simply because they cannot afford filing fees—fees that continue to rise for applications before the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Nicole knew this was an unacceptable reason for anyone to lose their case. Losing your future because you could not come up with the financial means—while navigating a new country, a new language, and a complex legal system—is not justice.

Determined to do things differently, Nicole established Las Hermanitas Immigrant Resource Fund as a non-profit charity dedicated to assisting indigent immigrants and non-citizens with financial support to pay for language access resources and critical immigration filing fees. With Pittsburgh being home to more than 26 immigrant communities, the need for accessible, community-centered support has never been greater.

Nicole often calls the twins her little sisters, or las hermanitas in Spanish. These young women gave selflessly not only to the Latino community, but to every community—neighbors, fellow immigrants, and even strangers. Naming this organization Las Hermanitas is both a tribute to who they are and a clear message of what we believe: that family shows up for one another, even when that family is not bound by blood.

Las Hermanitas exists to send a clear message: you are not alone. When the process feels overwhelming, when the barriers feel too high, and when giving up feels easier than continuing—there are advocates ready to help.

We hope our resources will help to remove at least one barrier from the immigration process, so individuals can focus on hope, healing, and building a future they deserve.

Because immigrants belong here—and help should never feel out of reach.