Immigrant Legal Defense

IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE'S MISSION IS TO PROMOTE JUSTICE THROUGH THE PROVISION OF LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO UNDERSERVED IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.

ILD CONTINUED OUR CSU IMMIGRATION SERVICES PROJECT, OUR FREE LEGAL SERVICES AND EDUCATION DELIVERY PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (CDSS) AND NINE CAMPUSES OF THE CA STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU) SYSTEM: SAN FRANCISCO, SAN JOSE, EAST BAY, MARITIME, STANISLAUS, FRESNO, BAKERSFIELD, MONTEREY, AND SAN LUIS OBISPO. IN 2022, ILD ATTORNEYS PROVIDED 1140 INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS TO STUDENTS, FACULTY/STAFF, AND FAMILY MEMBERS; SERVED CLIENTS FROM 86 COUNTRIES, WHO RESIDE IN 47 CALIFORNIA COUNTIES. THROUGH OUR CSU PROJECT, ILD ACCEPTED FOR FULL-SCOPE REPRESENTATION 406 NEW DACA RENEWAL CASES AND 369 NEW OTHER IMMIGRATION CASES; CONDUCTED 53 VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS ATTENDED BY OVER 5000 INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE CSUS, INCLUDING LARGE PRESENTATIONS, SMALL CAMPUS STUDENT GROUP EVENTS, FACULTY/STAFF, OR STUDENT GOVERNMENT MEETINGS, ALL HELD VIRTUALLY BY ZOOM, FACEBOOK LIVE, INSTAGRAM STORIES, AND CSU SYSTEM-WIDE WEBINARS; PARTICIPATED IN DOZENS OF MEETINGS WITH CAMPUS STUDENT-LEADERS AND FACULTY/STAFF FOR IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON REQUESTED IMMIGRATION LAW AND POLICY TOPICS. IN THE FALL OF 2022, ILD EXPANDED OUR LEGAL SERVICES PROJECT TO INCLUDE 34 CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES (CCC) THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE MOST REMOTE REGIONS OF CA. CDSS ASKED ILD TO LAUNCH THIS PROJECT AIMED AT REACHING THE MORE ISOLATED AND UNDERSERVED CCC CAMPUSES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IN THE FIRST MONTH OF SERVICES ILD CONDUCTED 102 CONSULTS AND ACCEPTED 52 CASES FOR FULL SCOPE REPRESENTATION. IN ADDITION WE HELD A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL TO INTRODUCE ILDS CCC SERVICES AND 287 CCC COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTENDED. IN ADDITION, WE HELD A DACA UPDATES WEBINAR THAT WAS OPEN TO ALL OUR CSU AND CCC CAMPUS COMMUNITIES IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LATEST DACA DECISION. THIS WAS ATTENDED BY 493 INDIVIDUALS. IN 2022, ILD ALSO CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (OUSD) WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEIR NEWCOMER AND REFUGEE TEAM. WE EXPANDED OUR ATTORNEYS AND LEGAL ASSISTANT TEAM SERVING OUSD YOUTH AND FAMILIES AND ALSO CREATED THE POSITION OF PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER TO FURTHER OUR SCHOOL BASED WORK. ILD ATTORNEYS REPRESENT OVER 350 FAMILIES, YOUNG ADULTS AND CHILDREN IN THEIR COURT PROCEEDINGS IN SEEKING ASYLUM, SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS, AND U OR T VISA RELIEF AS VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING. IN 2022, ILD ATTORNEYS REPRESENTED 37 DETAINED INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR FULL PROCEEDINGS, WHICH HAVE IN SEVERAL CASES ALSO INCLUDED HABEAS PETITIONS RELATING TO PROLONGED DETENTION AND CONDITIONS VIOLATIONS AND ALSO HAS INCLUDED REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT. WE ALSO REPRESENT 36 FRANCO CLASS MEMBERS AS NATIONAL QUALIFIED REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM APPOINTED COUNSEL. IN 2022, ILD PARTNERED WITH OVER 500 PRO BONO ATTORNEYS FROM 25 NATIONAL LAW FIRMS AND CORPORATE COUNSELS TO PROVIDE PRO BONO MENTORSHIP AND CLIENT REPRESENTATION IN OVER 350 CASES FOR DACA RECIPIENTS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS. MENTORSHIP HAS INCLUDED TRAINING PRO-BONO LAWYERS IN THE DACA FORMS, IN ASYLUM CASE REPRESENTATION, ORGANIZING AND SUPERVISING TELE-CLINICS WITH THE PRO-BONO LAWYERS AND CLIENTS, AND CREATING REPLICABLE TRAINING MATERIALS. ILD WAS ALSO CHOSEN BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO SERVE AS ONE OF TWO MENTORING ATTORNEY AGENCIES FOR THE NEW TWO YEAR CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP THAT STARTED IN JANUARY 2021 AND HAS EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS AT CENTRAL VALLEY AND CENTRAL COAST NONPROFITS SERVING IMMIGRANTS IN REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS. ILD DIRECTLY SUPERVISES ALL OF THE LEGAL WORK OF 6 OF THE 10 FELLOWS AT 4 CENTRAL VALLEY ORGANIZATIONS. WE ALSO ASSIST WITH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND TRAINING FOR ALL 10 OF THE FELLOWS. ILD ALSO AUTHORS A MONTHLY BLOG ON CURRENT RELEVANT IMMIGRATION LAW AND POLICY TOPICS AND CONTINUED OUR PODCAST IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FRESNO STATE DREAM RESOURCE CENTER FOCUSED ON IMMIGRATION LAW OR POLICY TOPICS RAISED BY STUDENTS ON THE CAMPUSES WE ARE SERVING AS WELL AS FEATURE GUEST SPEAKERS FROM THE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW AND POLICY FIELD.