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.

Some Felonies Should No Longer Be “Crimes of Violence” for Immigration Purposes under Johnson v. United States

08/06/2015

This advisory discusses how the Supreme Court's opinion in Johnson v. United States may affect selected offenses under California law, and what criminal defense and immigration advocates can do now.

DHS’s New “Priority Enforcement Program”

08/04/2015

A primer on the Priority Enforcement Program (“PEP-Comm”) for local leaders and elected officials.

Travel Abroad (Advance Parole) May Permit DACA Recipient to Get Green Card in U.S. Based on Certain Petitions

08/04/2015

This document describes how a person with DACA who travels outside the U.S. with Advance Parole may be able to apply for a green card in the U.S. based on an immediate relative visa petition.

Proposición 47 y los beneficios inmigratorios

07/31/2015

En este podcast, abogada Grisel Ruiz habla sobre proposición 47 y los beneficios inmigratorios. Escucha para entender como proposición 47 podía ayudar en su caso de inmigración.

Entendiendo los tipos de revisiones de antecedentes penales para solicitantes de DACA y DAPA

07/13/2015

Aprenda sobre los diferentes tipos de revisiones de antecedentes penales para aquellas personas que quieran solicitar DACA y DAPA y hayan tenido algún contacto la policía o inmigración. También aprenda como solicitar esos archivos.

Solicitudes de información bajo la Ley de Libertad de Información (FOIA)

07/13/2015

Este video provee una introducción a, conocido como “FOIA”, por sus siglas en ingles. También provee información y ejemplos sobre como determinar cuándo y a que agencia debe de enviar su solicitud de FOIA, y ejemplos sobre cuando una solicitud de FOIA no es la mejor opción para obtener información.

NGO Letter to DHS on Problems with PEP and Detainers

06/17/2015

This letter from national immigrant rights organizations describes the legal and policy problems with the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP), immigration detainers, and other entanglement with local law enforcement.

Understanding Background Checks for DACA & DAPA Applicants

06/09/2015

Learn about the various types of background checks for DACA and DAPA applicants and how to request them.

LGBTQ Immigration Special Considerations

06/09/2015

This webinar highlights special considerations in LGBTQ immigration. We focus on cultural competency for legal practitioners working with LGBTQ immigrants; marriage-based petitions involving same-sex binational couples; asylum protection when persecution was based on gender identity or sexual orientation; and defense strategies for LGBTQ immigrants in detention.

Preparing for Deferred Action: List of Addresses (English & Spanish)

06/05/2015

This document is intended to help potentially eligible deferred action applicants document all their addresses since moving to the United States.

Preparing for Deferred Action: List of Absences from the United States (English & Spanish)

06/05/2015

This document is meant to be given to potentially eligible deferred action applicants to document their absences from the United States to help legal services providers evaluate their eligibility for DAPA and DACA.

Citizenship Flyer for Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) Children of Potential DAPA Applicants (English & Spanish)

06/05/2015

This document is an outreach flyer that can be given to potentially eligible DAPA applicants who are the parent of a Lawful Permanent Resident (“Green Card holder” or “LPR”) or to the LPR child, directly, that explains basic eligibility requirements for naturalization and the benefits of naturalizing.

Preparing for Deferred Action: Dividers to Help Organize Documents for Potential DAPA Applicants (English & Spanish)

06/05/2015

This document provides dividers to help potentially eligible DAPA applicants organize their documents according to the DAPA eligibility criteria.

Living in the United States: A Guide for Immigrant Youth

06/05/2015

This guide is a compilation of resources for immigrant youth living in the United States. It includes general descriptions of immigration relief as well as general advice on applying for benefits, driver’s licenses, financial aid for colleges, bank accounts and credit cards, filing taxes, registering for the national service and military service, and more.

Living in the United States: A Guide for Immigrant Youth

06/05/2015

Freedom of Information Act Requests

06/02/2015

This videocast provides an introduction to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and offers tips for how to file FOIA requests in immigration cases. It also provides information and examples regarding how to determine when and with which agency to file a FOIA request as well as examples of when a FOIA response is not the best option for gathering information.

Screening Form for DACA Applicants

05/20/2015

This form screens for DACA eligibility and other immigration relief. It can be used by non-immigration attorney volunteers because it highlights the areas that need to be referred to an experienced immigration attorney or BIA-accredited representative.

DACA Application Sample Cover Letter

05/19/2015

This is a sample cover letter that can be used when submitting a DACA application. This is a sample cover letter that can be used when submitting a DACA application.

Collecting Evidence for DACA

05/19/2015

This is a checklist to help you gather all necessary documentation to apply for DACA.

Change of Address for DACA Recipients / Cambio de dirección de beneficiarios de acción diferida

05/19/2015

This new resource provides step by step instructions on how to notify USCIS that your address has changed. This is important so that receipt notices, reminders, and other documents are sent to the correct address. (English and Spanish)

How Proposition 47 Impacts Immigrants

04/17/2015

In this podcast, Angie Junck discusses the various ways in which Proposition 47 impacts immigrants.

An Overview to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status - Updated March 2015

04/15/2015

An Overview to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, excerpted from ILRC’s new publication Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and Other Immigration Options for Children & Youth. (Excerpted from Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and Other Immigration Options for Children & Youth .)

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Primer: How to Seek SIJS Findings in California Superior Courts

03/12/2015

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status is a unique, hybrid form of immigration relief that requires the involvement of state courts before a child is eligible to apply for a special immigrant juvenile visa with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. This guide includes an overview of the process of requesting SIJS findings in different types of state courts in California, providing answers to...

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Role-Play: Responding to Common Questions in State Court Proceedings

03/12/2015

Advocates may find that some state court judges are unfamiliar with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), or uncomfortable with their role in helping an individual access a form of federal immigration relief. This resource is intended to help advocates address the concerns of state courts with respect to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: A Primer for One-Parent Cases

03/12/2015

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases, involving a claim of abuse, abandonment or neglect against one parent while the child resides with the non-offending parent, are commonly referred to as one-parent cases. These cases, though permissible under the plain language of the statute as well as federal agency interpretation, have proved challenging particularly at the state court phase of...

Areas of Expertise

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