The Art of Generosity is a storytelling series made possible through underwriting by the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Each feature shines a light on a local nonprofit shaping the cultural, social, and economic fabric of our region. By elevating these stories, the Foundation furthers its role in connecting people with the organizations and causes that help our shared home thrive.
What started as one lawyer’s effort to help immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has grown into a statewide legal services nonprofit with offices in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, a budget of $1.8 million, and a nearly 99% success rate among its 2,000 active cases. Founded in 2014 by immigration attorney Allegra Love as Santa Fe Dreamers Project, Contigo Immigrant Justice offers free legal help to people with a wide range of immigration matters, including family-based applications, asylum claims, and humanitarian visas for survivors of domestic violence, assault, and human trafficking.
Contigo Immigrant Justice Supports Immigrants Throughout New Mexico and Beyond
The organization changed its name to Contigo Immigrant Justice in 2025 to better reflect the breadth of its work. Contigo means “with you” in Spanish, and its services extend beyond Santa Fe and the Dreamers community. The 21 multi-lingual staff and some 50 dedicated volunteers work collaboratively with clients statewide through applications, interviews, and, for some, naturalization ceremonies. Contigo’s bail bond fund even extends outside New Mexico to neighboring states.
“The vast majority of our clients are low income, Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin America, many of whom are undocumented, LGBTQ+, and/or survivors of violence. But we believe that everybody should have access to dignified, high-quality legal access,” says Executive Director Miles Tokunow, emphasizing the high stakes of these cases. “If you miss one box, that means a person’s life is forever changed and they may no longer be able to stay in this country with their family.”
Meet Executive Director Miles Tokunow
Originally from Los Angeles, Tokunow stopped in Santa Fe on a road trip after graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree in anthropology and music in 2010. Instead of continuing on, he joined the local Youth Media Project, then became a radio programmer for KSFR, and most recently was deputy director of OLÉ (Organizers in the Land of Enchantment), a grassroots nonprofit that focuses on movement building for working families. He joined Contigo in 2024.
As access to the justice system is increasingly difficult to provide (immigration cases take longer as federal requirements grow more complex; demand also exceeds the capacity of legal organizations across New Mexico), the name Contigo also captures the work’s essential spirit.
“We’re ‘with’ clients, not simply showing up on their behalf. Our commitment is to dignity, partnership, and standing alongside immigrant communities as they pursue safety, stability, and belonging,” Tokunow says.
Story by Kelly Koepke
Photos by Hyunju Blemel Photography
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