Immigrant Legal Resource Center

Local Policy Interventions for Protecting Immigrants

Local policies are the main drivers of policing, prosecution, and the deportation machine. This resource provides examples of effective policy language localities can use to protect community members.

Learn More

Issues/Areas of Expertise

Asylum

Citizenship and Naturalization

Post-Conviction Relief

Projects and Networks

Immigrant Justice Network

                The Immigrant Justice Network (IJN) engages in advocacy, education, technical assistance, training, communications, and litigation to address the needs of those caught in the intersection of the criminal justice and immigration systems.      

New Americans Campaign

                The New Americans Campaign (NAC), a project of the ILRC, is a nonpartisan, groundbreaking national network of legal-service providers, faith-based organizations, businesses, foundations and community leaders that is paving a better road to citizenship.      

Collective Freedom Project

                The Collective Freedom Project tells the stories of the local efforts where people — both U.S. citizens and non U.S. citizens — came together to fight unique campaigns against criminalization in their communities.      

Seal features a butterfly in an orange bubble

United Coalition for Immigrant Services

                United Coalition for Immigrant Services is a partnership between two collaboratives comprising 16 organizations that provide free and low-cost immigration legal services to children, families, and older adults in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.      

Latest Items

Toolkit & Reports

Resources

Immigration Relief Toolkit for Criminal Defenders

Publication Date

12/10/2024

Many noncitizen defendants are already deportable (“removable”). This includes all undocumented people, as well as lawful permanent residents (green card-holders) who have become deportable because of a conviction. If immigration authorities find these people – which is likely to happen – they will be deported unless they are granted some kind of immigration relief.   For these defendants, staying eligible to apply for immigration relief is their most important immigration goal, and may be their highest priority in the criminal defense.

FAQs & Explainers

Resources

Immigration “Wellness Checks” For Children: What sponsors, household members, and young people need to know

Publication Date

07/16/2025

Public Comments / Sign-on Letters

Resources

ILRC Comment Opposing USCIS’s Revisions to Guidance on Disability Waivers of the English and Civics Requirement for Naturalization

Publication Date

07/09/2025

ILRC submitted a comment to USCIS in response to the revisions published on June 13, 2025 to guidance for disability waivers of the English and civics requirement for naturalization. ILRC opposed the 2025 revisions as they rely on a false narrative that fraud is rampant in the disability waiver process.

Public Comments / Sign-on Letters

Resources

ILRC Comment on USCIS Revisions to Policy Manual on Statelessness

Publication Date

07/07/2025

Practice Advisory

Resources

Responding to DHS Motions to Recalendar

Publication Date

07/01/2025

In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security has begun filing thousands of motions to recalendar administratively closed proceedings. This trend is raising questions about how attorneys and accredited representatives can respond to these motions and protect their clients’ interests, particularly in cases that have been administratively closed for many years. This advisory explores those questions and offers strategy considerations when determining how to proceed in each case.

Toolkit & Reports

Resources

Asylum Screening Tool

Publication Date

06/27/2025

This tool offers a template that practitioners can use to help identify possible asylum eligibility. The screening questions are intended to elicit information about the basis of an asylum claim, identify possible bars and challenges, and flag areas where further follow-up may be needed. Accompanying the screening tool are some notes to help guide practitioners in assessing relief and spotting potential issues.

Privacy Policy

Read Now