Legal
services
After fleeing war, torture, or
political repression in their home countries, many immigrants
and refugees find themselves at risk here in the United States
because they do not understand the legal system, lack money to
hire competent lawyers, and are bombarded on all sides by
erroneous information. The need for legal services in the area
of immigration and asylum has grown tremendously in recent
years, and last year alone, IIB's legal department served over
3,000 immigrants and refugees.
Legal Services
Walk In Clinic
Since 1980, IIB's Walk-in Immigration Clinic has provided legal assistance, including attorney consultations and immigration forms assistance, to thousands of immigrants and refugees each year. IIB's Walk-in Immigration Clinic serves low-income refugees and immigrants in Boston, populations that continue to be severely underserved by legal services providers; the private bar cannot fill the vacuum, as their fees are beyond the means of many. The demand for services at IIB’s Walk-in Immigration Clinic is incredibly high; the line for clinic forms as early as 6:30 a.m. outside of our building and the stream of applicants is steady until we close intake at 3:00 p.m. Our unique approach to service includes maintaining a pool of highly- trained pro bono volunteer attorneys, employing paralegals to assist with paperwork processing, and using a walk-in format where clients can easily be screened and referred for appropriate services.
Walk
in Clinic Schedule
Asylum Representation
Project (ARP)
Asylum seekers who have fled their countries in fear for their lives can access high-quality legal representation through IIB’s Asylum Representation Project. The ARP helps clients to obtain political asylum, while also addressing other complex needs that are often critical to both the presentation of the clients’ asylum claims and their survival in the United States. In addition, the ARP also helps persons experiencing other compelling humanitarian crises, such as the need to enter or remain in the United States for medical care. The ARP staff and volunteers can readily handle complex asylum cases that are often beyond the expertise of pro bono attorneys and can respond rapidly to potential asylum seekers who urgently need representation.
Low Income Legal Assistance Program
(LILAP)
The Low Income Legal Assistance Program (LILAP) assists clients who are unable to afford private lawyers with a broad range of immigration legal services. The LILAP program provides full legal representation, on a limited basis, on immigration matters, such as removal (deportation) defense, complicated family-based and naturalization cases, permanent residency under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA) and the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), and self-petitions for battered immigrant women. LILAP also provides full legal representation through the Doan Tu (“Unity”) Project, assisting Vietnamese refugees to sponsor close family members still in Vietnam to come to the U.S.
Citizenship Center
IIB’s Citizenship Center helps immigrants in Boston who are legally eligible for citizenship but who need additional skills and assistance in order to complete the application and successfully complete the citizenship interview. As the benefits of citizenship become increasingly clear, the demand for citizenship has sharply risen. The Citizenship Center provides: 1) Citizenship Education in the form of matched tutoring as students prepare for the citizenship exam; 2) Application Assistance; and 3) Individual Counseling to support clients’ efforts at becoming naturalized.
Meet Martin
As a student in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Manny had
spoke at political rallies to
promote equitable government
practices. This outspokenness ...
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