Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center

JUSTICE FOR VULNERABLE IMMIGRANTS BY PROTECTING THEIR LEGAL STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: PIRC PROVIDES SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH TWO PROGRAMS: THE IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS PROJECT AND THE CITIZENSHIP PROJECT.IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS PROJECT (ISP): ISP IS A UNIQUE PROVIDER OF IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE IN PENNSYLVANIA. ISP PARTNERS WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AGENCIES AND PRO BONO AND LEGAL AID ATTORNEYS IN A UNIQUE MODEL OF SERVICE DELIVERY THAT PROVIDES IMMIGRATION AND FAMILY LAW LEGAL SERVICES, PUBLIC BENEFITS ADVOCACY, VICTIM SERVICES, AND EDUCATION TO IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THIS SURVIVOR-CENTERED APPROACH PROFOUNDLY IMPACTS THE LIVES OF IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN AS THEY CREATE A NEW LIFE OF SAFETY, ECONOMIC WELL-BEING, AND STABILITY. THIS IN TURN CREATES A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY. THE 2014 YORK COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION'S ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FOUND THAT EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN PIRC'S LEGAL SERVICES YIELDS AN ESTIMATED NINE-FOLD ECONOMIC BENEFIT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TIMELINE FOR MANY ISP CASES CONTINUES TO LENGTHEN. THE GOVERNMENT IS ISSUING REQUESTS FOR EVIDENCE IN MANY MORE CASES, OFTEN ASKING FOR DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED. PROCESSING SLOWDOWNS EXACERBATE AN ALREADY LENGTHY ADJUDICATION TIMELINE. CONSEQUENTLY, ISP SERVICES ARE MUCH NEEDED AMONG PENNSYLVANIA'S IMMIGRANT SURVIVOR POPULATION. IN 2021, ISP STAFF CLOSED ADVICE ONLY CASES FOR 16 SURVIVORS, BRIEF SERVICE CASES FOR 11 SURVIVORS, AND 83 EXTENDED REPRESENTATION CASES FOR IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS. AS OF THE END OF DECEMBER 2021, ISP HAD 363 OPEN CASES.CITIZENSHIP PROJECT: THE CITIZENSHIP PROJECT, LAUNCHED IN NOVEMBER 2018, SERVES LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN YORK COUNTY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YORK COUNTY LITERACY COUNCIL. IN 2021, PIRC HAS SCREENED 171 INDIVIDUALS FOR NATURALIZATION SERVICES AND SUBMITTED A TOTAL OF 45 NATURALIZATION APPLICATIONS FOR CLIENTS.

DIRECT REPRESENTATION: PIRC PROVIDES DIRECT REPRESENTATION AND PRO SE ASSISTANCE TO INDIGENT IMMIGRANTS THROUGH THE NATIONAL QUALIFIED REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM (NQRP), THE PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY UNITY PROJECT (PAIFUP), AND TO PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS (PVP). NQRP PROVIDES LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR DETAINED IMMIGRANTS DETERMINED BY THE IMMIGRATION COURT TO BE INCOMPETENT TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES DUE TO MENTAL ILLNESS OR OTHER CAPACITY LIMITATIONS. THESE CASES ARE COMPLEX DUE TO ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION AND COMPREHENSION BARRIERS AS WELL AS THE DEARTH OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THIS POPULATION. SECONDLY, PIRC PROVIDES DEFENSE AGAINST DEPORTATION THROUGH THE PAIFUP COLLABORATIVE PROJECT JOINTLY WITH THE NATIONALITIES SERVICE CENTER. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO BRING UNIVERSAL REPRESENTATION TO DETAINED IMMIGRANTS IN REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS IN PENNSYLVANIA. CASES ARE SELECTED ON A MERITS-BLIND BASIS, SCREENED ONLY FOR INCOME-RELATED AND RESIDENCE ELIGIBILITY. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO SCALE THE PROJECT UP USING THE DATA AND EFFICACY OF THE PROGRAM TO SHOW THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE THAT REPRESENTATION MAKES TO INDIVIDUALS FACING DEPORTATION WITHOUT COUNSEL. FINALLY, PIRC REPRESENTS OTHER SELECT CASES BASED ON PARTICULAR VULNERABILITIES SUCH AS ILLITERACY, LIMITED ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY, AND TRAUMA FROM PAST PERSECUTION OR TORTURE. IN 2021, PIRC STAFF PROVIDED PRO SE ASSISTANCE OR REPRESENTATION BEFORE DHS OR EOIR TO INDIVIDUALS FACING DETENTION AND DEPORTATION ON OVER 105 CASES.

LEGAL ORIENTATION PROGRAM (LOP): PIRC STAFF EMPOWERS DETAINED IMMIGRANTS THROUGH THE LEGAL ORIENTATION PROGRAM (LOP), PROVIDING CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR IMMIGRANTS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR LEGAL CASES. THE LOP EDUCATES DETAINED IMMIGRANTS THROUGH THE PROVISION OF GROUP LEGAL ORIENTATIONS, SELF-HELP WORKSHOPS, AND INDIVIDUAL ORIENTATIONS ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT IN IMMIGRATION COURT, THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS, AND POTENTIAL LEGAL REMEDIES. FOR APPROXIMATELY 86% OF DETAINED IMMIGRANTS IN REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS, LOP SERVICES ARE THE ONLY LEGAL ASSISTANCE THEY WILL RECEIVE BEFORE APPEARING PRO SE. IN 2021, PIRC PROVIDED INDIVIDUAL LEGAL ORIENTATIONS TO 161 DETAINED NON-CITIZENS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, THE YORK COUNTY PRISON AND BERKS COUNTY RESIDENTIAL CENTER CONTINUED TO SUSPEND GROUP ORIENTATIONS AND PRO SE WORKSHOPS AS WELL AS IN-PERSON LEGAL ORIENTATION SERVICES. ALL INDIVIDUAL ORIENTATIONS REPORTED ABOVE WERE ACCOMPLISHED REMOTELY VIA TELEVIDEO AND TELEPHONE, OFTEN AT SIGNIFICANT COST TO PIRC. FURTHER, BERKS STOPPED FAMILY DETENTION IN THE SPRING OF 2021, BUT HAS SINCE RESUMED DETENTION OF ADULT WOMEN. ADDITIONALLY, YORK COUNTY PRISON'S CONTRACT WITH ICE ENDED IN AUGUST 2021, BUT ICE HAD OPENED IMMIGRANT DETENTION WITH GREATER CAPACITY AT MOSHANNON VALLEY, RUN BY A PRIVATE ENTITY GEO GROUP, BY LATE 2021. DUE TO THE STOPPAGE OF IMMIGRATION DETENTION AT BOTH BERKS AND YORK COUNTY PRISON, PIRC'S LOP SERVICE NUMBERS WERE MUCH LOWER FOR FISCAL 2021. HENCE, THE REMOVAL DEFENSE PROGRAM SHIFTED ITS SERVICES TO OTHER ELIGIBLE IMMIGRANTS IN REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS. PIRC'S REMOVAL DEFENSE TEAM HAS HAD TO BE AGILE IN ITS RESPONSE TO EVER-CHANGING NEEDS.