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.

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N-400: Annotated Form & Translations

06/27/2017
Citizenship and Naturalization
The last update to Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, was December 23, 2016. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) only accepts the current version of the form. The last major update to the N-400 was on February 4, 2014 , when USCIS announced changes that doubled the length of the form. The increase in length stemmed in part from additional questions related to determinations...
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Using Your Red Cards

06/26/2017
Community Resources
Please reference the below documents for examples of the Red Cards in action. Special thanks to CultureStrike for creating helpful illustrations!
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Family Preparedness Planning in California

Community Resources
Immigrant Youth
06/20/2017

This free recorded webinar will arm immigration advocates with the information they need to help immigrant families make a plan for their children if they are unable to care for them due to detention and/or deportation. It will feature California experts on alternate care arrangements for children, including the Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit, Probate Guardianship, and informal arrangements for care.

Click here to...

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Sample One-Page Order Granting 1473.7 Motion

06/14/2017
Post-Conviction Relief
So you’ve won a 1473.7 motion, now what? For immigration purposes it’s important to document the victory and secure a signed order from an immigration judge. The signed order need not go into great detail; under Matter of Pickering , it is sufficient for the order to state generally that the conviction was vacated on a ground of legal invalidity. Attached please find a sample order for a grant of...
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ILRC Statement on H.R. 495, the “Protection of Children Act”

06/13/2017
Immigrant Youth
The ILRC joins numerous child welfare and immigration advocates across the country in urging all members of the House Judiciary Committee to protect the best interests of children by opposing H.R. 495, the “Protection of Children Act.” H.R. 495 asks Congress to break away from long-held standards of child welfare in the United States. This bill inhumanely seeks to strip vulnerable children of...
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SB 4 Community Advisory

06/06/2017
Community Resources
This resource offers background on what you should know about SB 4, the new Texas law regarding immigration enforcement, and how you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
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ICE Warrants Basics

06/06/2017
Enforcement
This short summary explains what ICE warrants (also called administrative immigration warrants or civil immigration warrants) do, and links to resources for further information and analysis.
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Legal Analysis of ICE Warrants

06/06/2017
Enforcement
This detailed memo analyzes the authority of ICE administrative warrants and why they fail to meet Constitutional standards. The memo examines why DHS has decided to issue ICE warrants along with ICE detainers, and explains the similarities and differences between these two types of documents. The memo focuses on how the existence of administrative ICE warrants does not confer immigration...
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Annotated ICE Administrative Warrants 2017

06/06/2017
Enforcement
In March 2017, DHS created a new policy where they would send an administrative warrant along with all ICE detainer requests. Along with this policy, they released new ICE warrant forms: I-200, and I-205. These annotated forms explain what ICE warrants mean and whom they are directed to.
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T Visas: What They Are and How They Can Help Your Clients

05/09/2017
U Visa/T Visa/VAWA
This practice advisory is designed to introduce legal workers to the T visa. It outlines T visa eligibility requirements, discusses the advantages of applying for T visas over other forms of humanitarian immigration relief, and analyzes how President Trump's recent executive orders impact T visa applicants.
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San Francisco Rapid Response Network: Lessons Learned and Best Practices

Enforcement
05/05/2017

This recording provides a review of San Francisco’s rapid response program, including a discussion of lessons learned and best practices. Topics include: Considerations when assessing whether a rapid response network is needed, and if so, what components to consider when establishing a local network, and lessons learned by guest presenters.

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The Promise of Sanctuary Cities and the Need for Criminal Justice Reforms in an Era of Mass Deportation

05/04/2017
Enforcement
Local criminal justice policies, such as vagrancy laws and cash bail requirements, endanger vulnerable immigrant populations and undercut the promise of “sanctuary” cities, according to a report released today by Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project, the Immigrant Defense Project, and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. The report urges city and county leaders who want to protect...
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Understanding Allegations of Gang Membership/Affiliation in Immigration Cases

04/28/2017
Enforcement
Immigrant Youth
Crimes
Removal Defense
Immigrants who are alleged to be involved with gangs are top immigration enforcement priorities for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This is true even if they have no criminal convictions and DHS is targeting them based on allegations alone. If such individuals choose to apply for immigration benefits, they may be exposing themselves to serious risk. This practice advisory discusses...
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Know Your Rights and What Immigrant Families Should Do Now

04/28/2017
Community Resources
It’s important for everyone to know their rights if approached by an immigration (ICE) agent as well as how families can best prepare for something happening. This resource provides practical tips for things immigrant families can do now to prepare as well as information on rights everyone has in the United States, regardless of immigration status. Thank you to Tenderloin Neighborhood Development...
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Redacted Sample Penal Code 1473.7 Motion to Vacate

04/26/2017
Crimes
Post-Conviction Relief
Students at the UC Irvine Immigrant Rights Clinic prepared a Penal Code 1473.7 motion to vacate for one of their clients and offered it as a resource for others filing similar motions. This motion is a reference tool only, and should not be used as a template or a model, nor should it be reproduced without substantial alterations. If you are filing a 1473.7 motion, you must perform your own legal...
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Naturalization Reduced Fee Option and Fee Waiver

04/26/2017
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.
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FAQ on Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities

04/26/2017
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.
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Practice Advisory: Aggravated Felonies

04/10/2017
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...

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