Immigrant And Refugee Law Center

THE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE LAW CENTER PROVIDES ACCESSIBLE LEGAL SERVICES TO IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE FAMILIES IN THE GREATER CINCINNATI COMMUNITY.

IN RESPONSE TO THE URGENT, UNMET NEED FOR LEGAL SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE FAMILIES IN CINCINNATI, THE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE LAW CENTER (IRLC) BEGAN OPERATIONS IN FEBRUARY 2018. IRLC IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND COMMUNITY BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES CRITICAL PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES ACROSS A SPECTRUM OF HUMANITARIAN IMMIGRATION NEEDS FOR LOW-INCOME IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE FAMILIES IN THE GREATER CINCINNATI REGION TO STABILIZE FAMILIES AND SECURE CHILDRENS FUTURES. OUR CLIENTS ARE REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS, CHILDREN, AND VICTIMS OF SERIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. IRLC IS THE ONLY DEDICATED PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDER IN THE REGION FOR LOW-INCOME IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE FAMILIES PURSUING CITIZENSHIP, LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENCY, ASYLUM, EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION, SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS, DACA, TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS, AND FAMILY UNIFICATION. FAMILIES RELY ON IRLC TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE LEGAL SYSTEM; AND IMMIGRATION CASES WITH LEGAL REPRESENTATION ARE NOT ONLY MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE A FAIR HEARING, BUT ARE ALSO FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO WIN THEIR CASE. WORKING IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES, IRLC REPRESENTS A DIVERSE ARRAY OF CLIENTS. TO DATE, CLIENTS HAVE COME FROM MORE THAN 64 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, FROM CENTRAL AMERICA TO AFRICA TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA. IRLC SERVED 332 CLIENTS OVER THE LAST YEAR AND PROVIDED IN-DEPTH CONSULTATIONS, INCLUDING 130 WOMEN AND 60 CHILDREN. 148 CASES WERE OPENED AS A RESULT OF THESE CONSULTATIONS, AND OVER ? ARE ALREADY CLOSED WITH AN OUTCOME. ROUGHLY 85% OF THE CASES HAD A POSITIVE OUTCOME, AND THE REMAINING 15% WERE WITHDRAWN BY THE CLIENT. THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO RECEIVED A CONSULTATION INCREASED BY OVER 100 IN THE LAST YEAR. IN 2021 WE ALSO REVITALIZED OUR VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY PROGRAM TO PARTNER DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL LAW FIRMS, AND CONTINUED TO WORK WITH LAW STUDENTS AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IRLCS IMPACT IS TANGIBLE. IN JUST FOUR YEARS WE HAVE SERVED WELL OVER 1,200 INDIVIDUALS, TRAINED MORE THAN 110 STUDENTS - OUR FUTURE ADVOCATES - THROUGH SUBSTANTIVE INTERNSHIPS, AND BUILT THE CAPACITY OF MORE THAN 60 LOCAL VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS THROUGH OUR TRAINING AND CLINICS. WE HAVE BECOME THE TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, SUPPORTED BY THE CITY OF CINCINNATI, HAMILTON COUNTY, P&G FUND, OHIO STATE BAR FOUNDATION, CINCINNATI BAR FOUNDATION, SEASONGOOD FOUNDATION, ROBERT AND ADELE SCHIFF FAMILY FOUNDATION, SISTERS OF CHARITY FOUNDATION, EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST OHIO, OTHER FAMILY FOUNDATIONS, AND MANY GENEROUS INDIVIDUAL DONORS.