Immigrant Justice

The Immigrant Women and Children Project recruits and trains volunteer attorneys to help immigrant victims of domestic violence seek freedom from their abusers and attain legal status in the United States. Founded in 1996, the Project was developed to assist women and children prepare self-petitions to obtain legal immigration status without relying on the sponsorship of an abusive spouse or parent. Volunteer attorneys assist clients with the preparation of immigration applications, including those needed to obtain work authorization. In 2002, an Anti-Trafficking component was added and the Project began to train law enforcement, community-based organizations and NGOs about the legal remedies available to victims of human trafficking, and started representing victims of trafficking in obtaining legal immigration status and public benefits, as well as counseling on civil, criminal and other legal issues.

The Refugee Assistance Project recruits and trains volunteer attorneys to represent asylum seekers who have suffered torture and other forms of persecution in their home countries and who are seeking political asylum in the United States. Since 1987, volunteer attorneys have been preparing asylum applications and representing clients at the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the INS) interviews and at Immigration Court hearings. Ancillary immigration relief, such as work authorization and relative petitions, is also provided.