People in a room holding American flags.

IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER

Working with and educating immigrants, community organizations, and the legal sector to help build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people
People at protest holding signs.

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.

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.

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
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
Publication Date
02/12/2025
CBP has signed an agreement delegating immigration enforcement authority to the Texas National Guard. Under the President's "mass influx" declaration, local and state law enforcement agencies may take on civil immigration enforcement authority that they wouldn't otherwise have. These specific powers are designated in a Memorandum of Understanding signed with CBP. This quick explainer highlights what this MOU says, what this means for Texas, and how it relates to Operation Lone Star.
Resources
Resources
Publication Date
02/12/2025
Following the new administration’s dramatic reorientation of all federal agencies into immigration enforcers, on January 21st, 2025, the DOJ issued a directive requiring all federal prosecutors to prioritize immigration prosecutions. The memorandum also threatens prosecutions and civil lawsuits to sanctuary jurisdictions and entities that seek to protect immigrants. In this analysis, we explain the different sections of the DOJ’s memo and what they mean for immigrants and federal courts nationwide.
Practice Advisory
Resources
Publication Date
02/10/2025
In 2024, USCIS issued a new Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, with more lengthy and complicated instructions on evidence that could be included. This guide will help practitioners understand what documents naturalization applicants must submit to the USCIS to accept and adjudicate the N-400 form and when to submit each document.
Practice Advisory
Resources
Publication Date
02/07/2025
The Laken Riley Act (LRA) was signed into law by President Trump on January 29, 2025. It amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by expanding mandatory detention of certain inadmissible noncitizens who are merely arrested or charged with certain offenses. This practice advisory addresses the question of whether the provisions of the LRA that seek to vastly increase the number of people subject to mandatory immigration detention would be triggered by children engaging in acts of juvenile delinquency. In the advisory, we argue that the answer is no, in alignment with longstanding precedent in immigration law that treats acts of juvenile delinquency as distinct from adult criminal acts. However, given that this is a new law with unclear drafting, we also provide tips for juvenile defense attorneys to help clients avoid charges that could implicate the mandatory detention provision of the LRA.