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.

Understanding ICE’s Warrant Service Officer Program

05/10/2019

FAQ about ICE’s newest model of 287(g), the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program.

Bexar County Cite & Release

05/09/2019

Starting in June 2019, Bexar County and San Antonio will implement "cite and release," a new administrative policy that seeks to reduce arrests. The policy directs law enforcement officers to use their discretion to issue citations for low-level, non-violent offenses.

Fee Waiver Template Comment – submit by May 6, 2019

05/06/2019

This comment period has closed. Click here respond to the latest notice of proposed fee waiver rule change. On April 5, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a proposed change to fee waiver eligibility and process. The April 5 notice announces USCIS’ intention to proceed with a plan, previously published on September 28, 2018 , to...

Totality of the Circumstances: Assessing the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility

05/03/2019

For the last twenty years, a “public charge” has been defined as a person “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance, or institutionalization for long-term care at government expense.” This test has evolved during the 20th century and may be poised to change under the current administration. This...

Stop 287(g) Now!

04/22/2019

All seventy-eight 287(g) agreements in the country will expire on June 30, 2019. This is a crucial opportunity to prevent your community from continuing its participation in this terrible program, which incentivizes racial profiling and has led to thousands of deportations. Watch this webinar to learn more about the 287(g) program and how to end these agreements in your community.

If you are interested in accessing the recording, please contact Lena Graber, lgraber [at] ilrc.org...

Community Flyers on Marijuana

04/17/2019

These flyers inform community members of the fact that it is very dangerous for any noncitizen, including a permanent resident, to discuss marijuana use with any official. This is true even if the person used marijuana in their own home and it was legal under the law of their state (because of medical or legalized marijuana state laws). Get legal counsel and get informed!

287(g) FOIA Documents

04/15/2019

Collected pages from a FOIA to ICE that relate to the 287(g) program. Includes documents from all over the country, including 287(g) applications and needs assessments, emails about joining the program, MOAs, and other records.

Ending 287(g) Nationwide

04/15/2019

The 287(g) program allows designated local law enforcement .officers to enforce civil immigration law s According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the 287(g) program led to more than 7,000 deportations in 2018. In 287(g) jurisdictions, ending these contracts are an essential first step to disentangling local law enforcement from ICE, which is why we’ve tracked and mapped these...

Ending 287(g): A Toolkit for Local Organizers

04/15/2019

The Trump administration has vowed to increase 287(g) agreements, which deputize state and local law enforcement officers to undertake various duties of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Indeed, as of the date of this publication, 49 of the 78 total 287(g) agreements were created during this current administration, and the number will likely continue to increase. However, all of...

Ending 287(g) In Texas

04/14/2019

The 287(g) program allows designated local law enforcement officers to enforce civil immigration laws. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the 287(g) program led to more than 7,000 deportations in 2018. There are currently 25 287(g) agreements in Texas, all of which began under the Trump administration. This is on top of the requirements of assistance to ICE imposed by SB4,...

What Qualifies as a Conviction for Immigration Purposes?

04/05/2019

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...

Understanding Unlawful Presence Under § 212(a)(9)(B) and Unlawful Presence Waivers, I-601 and I-601A

03/28/2019

This advisory explains unlawful presence under INA § 212(a)(9)(B) and the differences between the I-601 and I-601A waivers of unlawful presence. It covers who needs a waiver of unlawful presence, what are the requirements for a waiver of unlawful presence, and which waiver process to use depending on the applicant’s circumstances. Click to view the second advisory in the series.

How to Avoid Mandatory ICE Detention

03/19/2019

Update: Note also that the Supreme Court has reversed the Ninth Circuit's beneficial decision in Nielsen v. Preap. See alert in this advisory, and we will issue an updated version of the advisory soon. Noncitizens with certain criminal records are subject to mandatory immigration detention under INA § 236(c), 8 USC § 1226(c). This means that they may remain detained during the weeks, months, or...

California Quick Reference Chart and Notes

03/12/2019

This page offers resources on “crim/imm,” the law governing the intersection of immigration and crimes, especially as it applies to California law. This page includes the Public-Facing California Chart , Analysis: Selected Defenses to Selected California Crimes , as well as a series of short articles on crim/imm entitled Notes. Immigration advocates and criminal defenders can access additional...

Dismantling Detention Webinar

03/01/2019

Immigration detention has been expanding at record rates under the Trump Administration, but many of us are fighting detention in all kinds of new and innovative ways. This webinar will provide new advocates and organizers with important background information for understanding ICE detention contracts and the different laws and policies that shape the detention map. Then we will discuss strategies and considerations for fighting detention contracts and facilities, and how to challenge detention as it exists now while holding our goal of a truly prison-free future in mind.

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Preparing for the Future: Understanding the Rights and Options of DACA Recipients

02/07/2019

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has faced many threats and experienced significant changes since it began in 2012. This toolkit was created to help inform DACA recipients about their rights as well as how other community members can support DACA recipients during these challenging times. Part I offers an overview of the program and its current status in light of several...

DACA: Preparing for 2019

02/05/2019

Approximately 700,000 people are currently registered in the DACA program and have seen significant changes and threats to the program. This webinar will present an overview of the current status of DACA as well as tips on renewals and exploring other immigration options for DACA recipients. The webinar will also provide an update on pending litigation and what it might mean for the future of the...

Sanctuary for All: Effective Criminal/Immigration Policy Fixes

01/30/2019

Over the past four years, working with partner organizations throughout California and nationally, the ILRC has helped advocate and pass a series of reforms at the local and state levels that advance the rights of both citizens and noncitizens and connect the dots between the criminal and immigrant justice movements. This graphic describes some of these campaigns. If you would like support...

Stokeling v. United States: Supreme Court Defines “Crime of Violence”

01/23/2019

In Stokeling v. United States , the Supreme Court addressed the definition of a "crime of violence" under the ACCA. This advisory alerts public defenders and immigration advocates to possible immigration challenges caused by Stokeling , and defense strategies.

The Success of Sanctuary Under Trump

01/21/2019

In spite of the constant attacks on sanctuary policies from the current administration, these policies continue to spread, and continue to win in the courts. More than 120 new sanctuary-type laws have been enacted since January 2017, and at least 20 federal court rulings have found in favor of jurisdictions that limit their assistance or involvement in immigration enforcement.

The State of Orange County

01/09/2019

This report outlines the state of immigration enforcement in Orange County, California by providing a window into the historical and current state of Orange County’s immigration policies, their impact on local residents and the considerations and values that ought to guide a vision for a new Orange County. Specifically, the report offers a first look at data obtained through Public Records Act...

Police-ICE Collusion: Essential Knowledge and Interventions

01/03/2019

This webinar digs into how ICE operates and how local law enforcement agencies are really involved, so that we can demand strategic reforms. SComm is not the only way ICE gets information from localities, the Criminal Alien Program and 287(g) are also big players, as well as ICE’s broad access to various law enforcement databases and the growing surveillance state. In order to fight deportations, we need to get a hands-on, granular pictures of how ICE is operating, how they are using detainers and warrants, what access they have to the jail, and how local police and sheriffs respond...

Naturalization Field Guide: Resources for Red Flag Screenings and Application Reviews

01/03/2019

It has always been important to screen naturalization applicants thoroughly to ensure that they are, in fact, eligible for naturalization, and to assess any potential issues that could cause them to denied or deported. While the laws governing how and when someone is eligible to naturalize and how and when someone is deportable have not changed, the importance of screening applicants has...

Responding to Inappropriate RFEs and NOIDs in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Cases

01/03/2019

In July 2018, USCIS issued a new policy memorandum that limits the circumstances in which it will issue Requests for Evidence (RFE) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID). This practice advisory provides an overview of the law governing RFEs and NOIDs, outlines the changes to USCIS policy announced in the July 2018 policy memo, and sets forth a six-step process to follow when responding to requests...

Advisory About the Immigration Consequences of California Methamphetamine Convictions: Lorenzo v. Sessions

01/01/2019

In August 2018, the Ninth Circuit published an opinion holding that methamphetamine as defined under California law is not a controlled substance for federal immigration purposes. In January 2019, however, the court withdrew the published opinion, and issued a non-published opinion that came to the same conclusion. See Lorenzo v. Sessions , 902 F.3d 930 (9th Cir. 2018), withdrawn by Lorenzo v...

Areas of Expertise

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