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.

The School to Prison to Deportation Pipeline
Enforcement
Immigrant Youth
Schools across the country are working to protect their students and students’ families from immigration enforcement activities on campus. However, the school to prison to deportation pipeline is often overlooked in efforts to keep students safe. This resource explains how an incident at school can result in a youth facing deportation, and encourages schools to review their disciplinary polices to ensure they are not sending students to ICE.

Immigration Experts on Congressional Amendments and Senate Floor Immigration Debate

For Immediate Release: February 15, 2018
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822

Available for Comment: Immigration Experts on Congressional Amendments and Senate Floor Immigration Debate

Immigrant Legal Resource Center Able to Discuss Impact of Provisions on Sanctuary Cities, Unaccompanied Minors, Gang Allegations

U Nonimmigrant Status as a Defense from Removal for Lawful Permanent Residents
Removal Defense
U Visa/T Visa/VAWA
In a time of increased immigration enforcement, advocates must consider all possible forms of relief for clients facing deportation. U nonimmigrant status (also frequently referred to as a “U visa”) is commonly pursued as an affirmative immigration benefit for undocumented individuals, but it may also be a particularly important form of removal defense for certain lawful permanent residents (LPRs) facing deportation, likely on the basis of criminal convictions. This Practice Advisory provides an introduction to U nonimmigrant status and details its benefits for LPRs facing deportation, as well as the particular issues LPRs may face in seeking this form of protection.

What Qualifies as a Conviction for Immigration Purposes?
Crimes
DACA
Post-Conviction Relief
Immigration law has its own definition of what constitutes a criminal "conviction." Because most, although not all, immigration consequences require a conviction, if your client does not have a conviction the immigration case might be saved. This Advisory discusses which dispositions that come out of criminal court actually constitute a conviction for immigration purposes, and how to avoid a conviction. It has been updated to include the BIA's decision that a conviction on direct appeal of right does not have sufficient finality to be a conviction for immigration purposes.

California Immigration Experts on Tomorrow’s “Major” Sanctuary Policy Announcement by Attorney General Sessions

For Immediate Release: March 6, 2018
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822

Available for Comment: California Immigration Experts on Tomorrow’s “Major” Sanctuary Policy Announcement by Attorney General Sessions

Immigrant Legal Resource Center Able to Discuss Support for Sanctuary Cities, Impact on Communities

Dignity Not Detention Coalition: Justice Department Lawsuit Signals Blatant Disregard for the Human Rights of Immigrants in Detention

For Immediate Release: March 8, 2018
Contact: Kemi Bello, kbello@ilrc.org | (415) 321-8568

Dignity Not Detention Coalition: Justice Department Lawsuit Signals Blatant Disregard for the Human Rights of Immigrants in Detention

With its passage in 2017, AB 103 broke new ground by creating the first state-mandate, state-funded oversight mechanism in the nation to protect immigrants from mistreatment in public and private detention center facilities.

Texas Immigrants, Advocates, Legal Experts Outline Steps Forward after Fifth Circuit Court Ruling on Anti-Immigrant Law SB4

For Immediate Release: March 14, 2018
Contact: Diop Harris at (269) 209-7733 or press@americasvoice.org
ILRC Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822

Texas Immigrants, Advocates, Legal Experts Outline Steps Forward after Fifth Circuit Court Ruling on Anti-Immigrant Law SB4

Trump’s Decision to End Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberia is Cruel

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2018
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822

Today, the Trump Administration made the decision to terminate Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberia. There are currently approximately 4,000 Liberians with DED living and working in the U.S. who will be affected by this decision, most of whom have been here for decades.

Resources on Gang Allegations
Enforcement
Policy Advocacy
Statement for the Record by the ACLU, IDP, IJN, ILRC, NIJC and NIP on the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration for the May 23, 2018 Hearing Titled "TVPRA and Exploited Loopholes Affecting Unaccompanied Alien Children": In this statement for the record, the ILRC, along with our partners discuss the dehumanizing and cruel responses by the Trump Administration and immigration hardliners to children seeking safety in the United States.

Changes to the Expedited Naturalization Process for Military Service Members

Citizenship and Naturalization
In October 2017, the Department of Defense issued new policies that impact lawful permanent residents and other non-U.S. citizens in the military. This practice advisory discusses how these policies affect those who seek to enlist, and those who currently serve in the military, including in the Reserve Components. This practice advisory was jointly authored by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the National Immigration Forum, and the New Americans Campaign.

Introductory Guide to the Affidavit of Support
Family-Based
Public Charge
This advisory provides an introduction to the Affidavit of Support including various ways to meet the financial requirements, different types of sponsors who may submit Affidavits of Support, who is considered a “household member” for purposes of the Affidavit of Support, and exemptions to the Affidavit of Support.

Federal Court Ruling Signals Unconstitutional Trump Administration Threats to Deprive Federal Funding over Sanctuary Policies Is Clear Violation of Law

For Immediate Release: April 13, 2018
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822

Federal Court Ruling Signals Unconstitutional Trump Administration Threats to Deprive Federal Funding over Sanctuary Policies Is Clear Violation of Law

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center Encourages Localities to Continue to Pass and Strengthen Sanctuary Protections

Eliminating TPS Designation For Nepal Is Unfounded and Heartless, Says Immigrant Legal Resource Center

For Immediate Release: April 26, 2018
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, (908) 242-4822

Eliminating TPS Designation For Nepal Is Unfounded and Heartless, Says Immigrant Legal Resource Center

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nepal. On June 24, 2019, approximately 9,000 Nepali TPS holders will be out of status and subject to deportation.

DACA FAQs Updated (May 2018)
DACA
Recent government announcements and court cases on DACA have created confusion around who can apply, when they can apply, and how they can apply for DACA.  To mitigate this confusion, here is an informational FAQ for your reference.