Areas of Expertise

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) immigration attorneys’ expertise focuses on family-based immigration, humanitarian relief, naturalization and citizenship, immigration enforcement, and removal defense.

Since 1979 we have helped expand the immigration expertise of attorneys, nonprofit staff, criminal defenders, and others assisting immigrant clients.

In addition to authoring the ILRC’s practice manuals, our expert attorneys have been published by Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), ILW.com, Huffington Post, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Center for Law and Social Policy, The Hill, LexisNexis Emerging Issues, and Fox News Latino.
 
We have also provided training to National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), American Bar Association Commission on Immigration, Federal Bar Association, The State Bar of California, Legal Aid Association of California, Judicial Council of California and more.

Nearly 300 Law Professors: Trump’s Executive Order on “Sanctuary” Cities Is Unconstitutional

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2017

Contact: Kemi Bello, kbello@ilrc.org, (415) 321-8568

Nearly 300 Law Professors: Trump’s Executive Order on “Sanctuary” Cities is Unconstitutional
Executive Order Threatens to Pull Federal Funding from Designated “Sanctuary” Jurisdictions

Los Derechos de los Residentes Permanentes Legales

Community Resources
Los residentes permanentes siguen teniendo todos los mismos derechos. Este document tiene información sobre sus derechos y cosas que debe tener en cuenta si desea viajar fuera de los Estados Unidos, ha sido condenado por un crimen o es elegible para naturalizarse para convertirse en ciudadano estadounidense.

Plan de Preparación Familiar
Community Resources
Cada familia debe tener un plan de preparación. Aunque nuestro deseo es que usted nunca tenga que usar este plan, es buena práctica de tener uno a la mano para reducir el estrés de lo inesperado. Este paquete le ayudará a crear un plan de preparación familiar, independientemente de su estatus migratorio. Sin embargo, por los retos adicionales que los inmigrantes y familias con status migratorios variados enfrentan, también tenemos consejos adicionales para los inmigrantes.

Mission
The mission of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is to work with and educate immigrants, community organizations, and the legal sector to continue to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people.

Unaccompanied Minors & The New Executive Orders
Immigrant Youth
The Republican Administration has already issued multiple immigration-related Executive Orders and implementing memoranda. These orders and memoranda touch on nearly all areas of immigration enforcement, including the treatment of immigrant children. In this resource, we address possible ways that UACs may be affected by these sweeping changes. Keep in mind that we do not know how these policies will play out in practice, and there will likely be legal and advocacy challenges to their implementation.

2024 Phillip Burton Award Sponsors
The ILRC wishes to thank the loyal sponsors and donors who support the ILRC and its fight to protect and defend the rights of immigrants and their families. Because of your generosity, our work continues and grows stronger.

Support the ILRC: More Ways to Give
Monthly Giving Club: The ILRC’s Monthly Giving Club lets you pledge your continued support to the ILRC’s work throughout the year. A recurring monthly charge will be made to your credit card on file for as long as you designate. To activate recurring giving, please go to our donation page and check the box, “Make this a recurring gift” in the section called, “Recurring Gift.” If you have any issues or need to update your card information, please contact Cynthia Housel at chousel@ilrc.org.

Practice Advisory: Aggravated Felonies
Crimes
The immigration statute designates certain types of crimes as “aggravated felonies.” See INA § 101(a)(43), 8 USC § 1101(a)(43). These are the most dangerous type of convictions for a noncitizen. Despite the name, this definition reaches offenses that are neither felonies nor aggravated. It can include selling $10 worth of marijuana, a misdemeanor shoplifting offense with a one-year suspended sentence, or failure to appear at a criminal hearing. The person must be convicted of the offense, not merely commit it, for aggravated felony penalties to apply.

FAQ on Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities
Enforcement
President Trump issued an Executive Order on immigration enforcement in January 2017.  The Order included sections ordering that sanctuary cities would not be eligible to receive federal funding.  This fact sheet breaks down the key issues raised by the Executive Order, examining the possible meanings of the order, and the legal limitations on what the President can do.

Naturalization Reduced Fee Option and Fee Waiver
Citizenship and Naturalization
This practice advisory reviews options for naturalization applicants who cannot afford the filing fee for the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization: the reduced fee option (Form I-942) and the USCIS fee waiver (Form I-912). The practice advisory also provides resources and tips for completing either application.