Obtaining Office of Refugee Resettlement Records for Clients Who Were Detained as Children
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) records requests are an important tool for advocates who are representing people who were detained in ORR custody as children. This practice advisory discusses the role ORR records play in an immigration case and outlines the process for requesting them.
How can age affect my immigration relief options?
The U.S. immigration system treats children and young people differently than adults. It is important to understand how your age may impact your options for seeking relief or protection against deportation. This Community Explainer highlights how age impacts eligibility for certain forms of immigration relief, how immigrant youth can help themselves and their family members, and how to learn more.
Comment on Biden administration’s Interim Final Rule entitled “Securing the Border”
On July 8, the ILRC submitted a comment opposing the Biden administration’s interim final rule (IFR) entitled “Securing the Border.” The IFR unlawfully restricts asylum access by restricting entry and creating a bar to asylum eligibility when there have been a certain number of encounters at the southern U.S. border.
California’s AB 1261 and Immigration Relief for Survivors of Crime and Trafficking
If you are undocumented and have been a victim of a crime, served as a witness for law enforcement, or have been subject to human trafficking, you may be eligible to apply for certain forms of immigration status. These are known as U, T, and S visas. In most cases, the application process for these visas will require help from a law enforcement agency. This Community Explainer details how a new California law, AB 1261, aims to better protect immigrants who are applying for these forms of relief and ensure that California law enforcement agencies help them when needed.
What is the DACA Rule and How Does it Impact Me?
On August 30, 2022, the Biden Administration issued a new rule on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that incorporates DACA into the Federal Regulations, a process that serves to codify the program into law. Since its announcement, there have been several questions around who can access DACA now and what it means for all those first-time applicants who are waiting to obtain DACA. This Community Explainer details how the rule impacts current DACA recipients, how ongoing court battles affect how DACA is implemented, and more.
ILRC Comment on NPRM Application of Certain Mandatory Bars in Fear Screenings
On June 12, the ILRC submitted a comment opposing the Biden administration’s proposed rule that seeks to apply certain mandatory bars to asylum at the fear screening stage. The proposed rule contradicts the administration’s previous finding that such a policy would be inconsistent with statutory intent. It would also deprive asylum seekers of an opportunity to access asylum procedures by adding legally complex bars to the threshold screening for eligibility.
A Report From the Texas Border: Survey on What Residents of Webb County Need and Want from Elected Officials
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.
2023 Annual Report
The ILRC has published its 2024 Annual Report, which includes information about the initiatives the organization took that year, as well as the organization's financial position.
Worksheet: California Post-Conviction Relief for Immigrants
Thousands of noncitizens in California are at risk of removal because they have criminal convictions that were unlawfully imposed. California law provides several ways to eliminate these convictions with post-conviction relief (PCR). The challenge is that there are not enough PCR experts to meet the need, especially for low-income immigrants.
New Fee Exemptions for Immigrant Survivors of Abuse, Trafficking, and Other Crimes
As of April 1, 2024, immigrant survivors of abuse, trafficking, and other crimes can now apply for certain immigration benefits for free. This Community Explainer details which survivor-based benefits are covered by the new fee exemptions, as well as other changes that may reduce financial barriers to accessing immigration benefits.
10 Things Noncitizen Protestors Need to Know
Read and share our one-pager in English and Spanish to learn about the top 10 things noncitizen protestors should know before they take to the streets to exercise their rights.
Important Reminder for TPS Recipients from Certain Countries
This Community Alert is a reminder for recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan that re-registration deadlines are coming soon. Review to learn about the deadlines for each country.
What is SIJS?
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) provides a pathway to a green card for young people who have been “abandoned, abused, or neglected” by a parent. This Community Explainer unpacks what that means, what the SIJS key benefits are, and how one may become eligible to apply for this path to relief.
Naturalization Red Flags Checklist and Outreach Flyer (English, Spanish, and Chinese)
Every applicant for naturalization should complete a Red Flags Checklist before applying for naturalization to help gauge their eligibility and determine if a more thorough screening is necessary.
Guidance for SIJS State Court Predicate Orders in California- What You Need to Know in 2024
This updated guidance, written with our partners Immigrant Legal Defense (ILD), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Legal Services for Children (LSC), includes recommendations for what information to include in state court predicate orders for special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) in California. It incorporates guidance from the 2022 SIJS regulations as well as the USCIS Policy Manual, and includes helpful citations to California law. It also includes sample predicate orders from family, probate, dependency, and delinquency courts.
N-400: Annotated Form & Translations
The current version of the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is dated January 20, 2025, with minor changes from the previous version dated April 1, 2024. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) only accepts the current version of the form. The ILRC developed an annotated form (4/1/24) to assist practitioners and volunteers in completing the N-400. In addition, the ILRC has compiled multilingual translations of the Form N-400.
Breaking Down the Visa Bulletin: What SIJS Advocates Need to Know
This resource - created in partnership with the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, CILA, and NIPNLG - addresses common questions and myths about the visa bulletin, how to talk to clients about the SIJS backlog, and how both advocates and directly impacted young people can get involved in the Coalition’s work to end the backlog and its harms.
Critical Action Needed
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.
Critical Action Needed
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.
How to: Obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
This Community Explainer is designed to explain what an ITIN is, why it may be particularly important for immigrants without a Social Security Number, and how one can be obtained.