Protocols for Ensuring Effective Defense of Noncitizen Defendants in California
A review of four different models used throughout California, in advising noncitizen defendants of the immigration consequences of criminal offenses. This protocol provides interviews with defenders currently practicing these models, as well as practical tips and resources in establishing similar models in your jurisdiction.
Responding to Inappropriate RFEs & NOIDs in SIJS Cases
This practice advisory describes the recent increase in RFEs and NOIDs in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases, in which USCIS is requesting documents from the underlying state court proceedings. The advisory details arguments against disclosing state court documents and information to USCIS, and provides guidance on setting up your SIJS petitions for success from the outset.
2014 Annual Report
In 2014, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) celebrated its 35th anniversary. Together with the immigrant community and its partners, ILRC is battling the unjust immigration policies that further marginalize those who are often overlooked. Our efforts resonate with a deep commitment to help keep families together.
Ending Local Collaboration with ICE: A Toolkit for Immigration Advocates
This toolkit for organizers explains how ICE co-opts local law enforcement into immigration enforcement, and how communities can fight to disentangle them. Along with sample questions for local law enforcement and tools for monitoring immigration enforcement activities in your community, this toolkit explains the new enforcement landscape under PEP-Comm and other ICE programs and gives fundamental background information about how ICE is at work in local jails.
Detainer Policies
These policies include city and county ordinances and administrative policies, as well as state laws, all of which limit the compliance of local law enforcement with ICE holds to some degree. Many other campaigns are ongoing; pending legislation or policies are not yet included here.
Cooperate with the Community Don’t Cooperate with ICE (An Infographic)
An immigration enforcement infographic showing what happens when local law enforcement cooperates with ICE. The infographic shows who in our communities are captured by immigration enforcement, how they are captured, and what can happen to community members thereafter.
Some Felonies Should No Longer Be “Crimes of Violence” for Immigration Purposes under Johnson v. United States
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.
Travel Abroad (Advance Parole) May Permit DACA Recipient to Get Green Card in U.S. Based on Certain Petitions
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.
Living in the United States: A Guide for Immigrant Youth
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.
Citizenship Flyer for Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) Children of Potential DAPA Applicants (English & Spanish)
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)
This document provides dividers to help potentially eligible DAPA applicants organize their documents according to the DAPA eligibility criteria.
Preparing for Deferred Action: List of Addresses (English & Spanish)
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)
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.
Screening Form for DACA Applicants
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.
Change of Address for DACA Recipients / Cambio de dirección de beneficiarios de acción diferida
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)
Collecting Evidence for DACA
This is a checklist to help you gather all necessary documentation to apply for DACA.
DACA Application Sample Cover Letter
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.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Primer: How to Seek SIJS Findings in California Superior Courts
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 common questions about this process as well as practice pointers for different types of proceedings in California.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Role-Play: Responding to Common Questions in State Court Proceedings
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
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 the application process and at times before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that adjudicates SIJS petitions. This advisory is intended to be a primer for practitioners to
AB 60 Resources - Updated 4/29/2015
The first handout, "AB 60 California Driver’s License: Frequently Asked Questions," is aimed at immigration attorneys and provides an overview of frequently asked questions regarding AB 60 licenses, including some common red flags. The second handout, "Preguntas Acerca de la AB 60," is aimed at community members and written in Spanish. It provides answers to common questions such as whether it is safe to apply for an AB 60 license depending on prior criminal or immigration history.
Preguntas y Respuestas Sobre las Licencias de Manejar Para Inmigrantes Bajo la Ley AB 60
Obtenga aquí las respuestas a las preguntas más comunes sobre este nuevo programa para obtener una licencia de manejar en California.
Crimes-Related Bars to DAPA & DACA
This is an annotated chart that provides quick access to the differing crimes bars to DAPA and DACA.
FAQs on Immigration Authority of Local Law Enforcement
This FAQ explains questions of legal authority for local law enforcement agencies to be involved in immigration enforcement. Specifically, the document reviews recent court decisions and examines how the law is evolving in regard to ICE detainers, administrative immigration warrants, and other immigration enforcement mechanisms that local law enforcement may encounter. The FAQ clarifies that even if there is probable cause to believe that a person is unlawfully present, this is not a basis to arrest, because local law enforcement officers do not have authority to enforce civil immigration