The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) builds a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through ILRC’s policy and advocacy efforts, we promote a vision of racial justice that advances the rights of all immigrants, including those who have had contact with the criminal legal system.
ILRC engages in policy and advocacy throughout the United States with a particular focus on local policy work in Texas, local and state policy work in California, and policy advocacy at the federal level. Our policy and advocacy efforts are guided by three main pillars: 1) dismantling the arrest to deportation pipeline and disrupting racial disparities in the immigration and criminal legal systems; 2) expanding immigration law to improve protections from deportation and access to immigration relief; and 3) preserving and expanding access to legal services and opportunities for citizens and non-citizens to engage in the political process.
Latest Resources
FAQs & Explainers
Resources
Publication Date
07/23/2024
Texas authorities have expansively interpreted a 2024 law that imposes a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence on people convicted under the state's smuggling law to include giving rides to undocumented people, The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Detention Watch Network (DWN), and AJA Advocacy Solutions said this report highlighting the law’s harm. The brief states that most people prosecuted for smuggling in Texas are young US citizens. Texas law enforcement officers have a troubled track record with identifying alleged smugglers, and now the state has raised the stakes of each arrest significantly.
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Resources
Publication Date
07/08/2024
Toolkit & Reports
Resources
Publication Date
06/18/2024
While politicians enact and reenact their reckless border theatrics, the ILRC surveyed border residents about their actual needs and how the influx of law enforcement efforts has affected them. We found that while the state of Texas spends more and more money on police and prisons, local governments are starved of funding and communities lack the most basic services, including clean water, paved roads, and street lights.
Practice Advisory
Resources
Publication Date
05/20/2024
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Toolkit & Reports
Resources
Publication Date
02/26/2024
Throughout the Biden administration the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has called on the President to both restore the systems that offered protection and access to immigration benefits decimated during the Trump years and steer us on a new path toward dignity and justice. This proposal highlights the critical actions immigrant communities need before this administration ends include ensuring immigration benefits are equitable and accessible for low-income immigrants of color and ending immigration arrests, immigration detention, and deportations.
Toolkit & Reports
Resources
Publication Date
02/26/2024
Throughout the Biden administration the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has called on the President to both restore the systems that offered protection and access to immigration benefits decimated during the Trump years and steer us on a new path toward dignity and justice. This proposal highlights the critical actions immigrant communities need before this administration ends include ensuring immigration benefits are equitable and accessible for low-income immigrants of color and ending immigration arrests, immigration detention, and deportations.
Practice Advisory
Resources
Publication Date
02/21/2024
On February 14, 2024, President Biden announced an 18-month Program of deferred enforced departure (DED) for Palestinians in the United States. This alert describes the content of the executive order. Eligible persons may apply for employment and travel authorization under the program when a notice is published in the Federal Register.
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Resources
Publication Date
02/20/2024
On Feb. 20, 2024, the ILRC sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the release of regulations in 2024. The purpose of the letter is to encourage the Biden Administration to publish regulations regardless of the political concerns of the upcoming election year. The ILRC focused on the release of some proposed regulations that have been scheduled for publication, and also urged the administration to rescind and replace asylum regulations leftover from the previous administration, and also to refrain from publishing additional regulations that restrict asylum at the southern border.
Practice Advisory
Resources
Publication Date
01/24/2024
Recently, USCIS has conflated guidance for naturalization disability waivers of English and civics with waivers of the oath requirement for persons with disabilities. The confusion stems from USCIS’s addition of a question on oath waivers on the N-648 disability waiver form. These are separate waivers with distinct purposes, legislative histories, and administrative guidance.
This practice advisory will describe the enactment of the oath waiver and current USCIS guidance as well as describe the ways that it is distinct from a waiver of the English/civics requirement.
This practice advisory will describe the enactment of the oath waiver and current USCIS guidance as well as describe the ways that it is distinct from a waiver of the English/civics requirement.
Related Products
Webinar
Webinar
ILRC attorneys will describe how to file requests through the Freedom of Information Act process at USCIS, both online and with a G-639. The speakers will describe recent changes to FOIA processes and policies at all DHS components including CBP, OBIM, and ICE.
Video
Video
In this short video, you’ll hear ILRC Immigration Policy Attorney, Aidin Castillo, offer her personal account about coming to the U.S. as a child, and describe the work that she’s doing to influence immigration reform legislation in Washington D.C.
Webinar
Webinar
This Webinar will offer an overview of the Texas v United States decision and what it means for current DACA recipients and DACA-eligible individuals. We will also provide considerations for practitioners as they advise community members about their legal options and possible next steps in finding a permanent solution.
Webinar
Webinar
Level: AllThis webinar will provide an overview of the regulatory process including finding and commenting on regulations and best practices for crafting comments. Our guest speaker is a former government attorney and expert in regulatory matters who will be providing more in-depth information to the regulatory process and comments practice. We will also highlight immigration regulations that are or are anticipated to be open for comment in the coming months.PresentersPeggy Gleason, Senior Staff Attorney - ILRC