IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CORPS INC

Immigrant Justice Corps, the country’s first and only Fellowship program exclusively dedicated to expanding access to counsel for low-income immigrants, strives to cultivate a new generation of diverse leaders with a lifelong commitment to immigrant justice by recruiting, training, and populating the immigration field with the highest quality legal advocates. IJC’s Fellowship program offers a blueprint for providing quality legal assistance at scale and presents a long-term plan for addressing the worsening representation crisis. IJC aims to seed and strengthen the legal field, build local capacity, provide legal services to immigrants, and advocate for a humane immigration system.

IJC envisions an immigration system in which anyone in removal proceedings who cannot afford counsel would be entitled to appointed government-funded counsel, akin to the right to counsel in the United States’ criminal justice system. Ultimately, universal representation will be ensured with the support of dedicated public funding. In the past few years, our Fellows have assisted in garnering state and municipal appropriations for universal representation programs in New Jersey, Nevada, and Maryland, with the potential to unlock federal funding in the years to come. While legislative change at the federal level may seem elusive, we have seen enough traction with specific federal agencies and at the state and local levels to believe it is a goal worth pursuing.

Populating the immigration bar with well-trained and high-caliber attorneys
IJC’s greatest strength is its unique ability to increase the number of lawyers practicing immigration law while improving the quality of the immigration bar. IJC recruits Fellows with lived experience of the immigration system- many are either immigrants or first-generation Americans- who bring essential perspectives and voice the interests of immigrant communities directly. All are bilingual, with fluency in Spanish, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, and Cantonese, among other languages. Fellowships begin with intensive, three-week training, which includes sessions led by legal experts made available to the Fellows for the program’s duration. Fellows are supported in the field with monthly follow-up training, technical assistance, and mentoring.

Providing high-quality legal representation to low-income immigrants at risk of deportation
Fellows protect clients’ rights and provide them with compassionate representation, maintaining a success rate of 90% in all closed cases and preventing hundreds of deportations and family separations. They represent low-income immigrants in deportation and other complex cases, provide comprehensive screenings, and file applications for temporary legal status, green cards, and citizenship. Fellows provide invaluable support to asylum seekers, including domestic and gang violence victims seeking safety in the United States.

Building the capacity of local organizations and legal service providers in high-need areas
A core aspect of IJC’s strategy is building the capacity of nonprofit legal service providers and community-based organizations, often located in less-resourced geographies, to meet the legal needs of low-income immigrant communities. Before they receive an IJC Fellow, these organizations turn away approximately 40% of eligible clients due to lack of capacity. Fellows enable providers to dramatically increase the number of cases they handle, develop critical expertise, and initiate new programs.

Building public will for government-funded counsel for immigrants in deportation proceedings
Through the Fellowship program, IJC demonstrates that expanded legal representation is both feasible and sustainable. In the process, IJC galvanizes advocacy for government funding to ensure that all detained immigrants have representation. Fellows help unlock public funding for universal representation by collecting stories and data that illuminate how unequal representation both impedes justice and devastates communities. IJC works with national partners to encourage government agencies to invest deeply in immigrant communities and to demonstrate that universal representation leads to justice and dignity for all immigrants.

Robust alumni network: IJC’s alumni are working as immigration attorneys, teaching at immigration law clinics, contributing to legal journals and news outlets, and working for think tanks. This vibrant network enables IJC, host organizations, and other stakeholders to share knowledge, respond quickly to emerging needs, and develop innovative approaches.

Working in Less Resourced Geographies: In partnership with host organizations and key stakeholders, IJC has the capability to grow representation in less-resourced geographies by placing Fellows with local legal service providers. IJC seeks out these areas to sustainably grow capacity in the field, ensuring that underserved communities have access to legal counsel beyond the duration of the fellowship period.

Building Capacity at Host Organizations: Central to IJC’s strategy is creating infrastructure that enables legal service providers to represent immigrants that they otherwise would not be able to help due to the constraints of traditional funding. Before receiving Fellows, due to lack of staffing, these non-for-profit legal service providers and community-based organizations must turn away 4 out of five eligible clients. With the assistance of Fellows, providers can take on the cases of these clients while also establishing innovative programs that benefit future clients.

Access to Up-to-Date Data and Analytics: IJC has access to data, provided by host organizations and Fellows, on the current state of the ever-changing immigration landscape which allows IJC to learn about trends as they emerge and adjust our programming accordingly. This allows IJC to develop unique representation models tailored to individual geographies. IJC surveys clients to provide real-time feedback on the quality of service received and the impact that representation has on their families’ well-being so that the design and evolution of the IJC program remain at its most effective. IJC has built a rich depository of data and stories to shift the narrative on access to counsel for immigrants and encourage local and state governments to invest more deeply in immigrant communities. IJC’s Data and Analytics team oversees all evaluation efforts to assess progress and adjust work in real-time.

Providing Support and Supervision: IJC has the unique ability to ensure that Fellows thrive in their roles by providing them with support, mentoring, and professional development throughout the duration of their fellowship. IJC remains proactive in its approach to the well-being of our staff and Fellows by ensuring that access to mental health care is accessible and affordable. Fellows are paired at host organizations to alleviate the emotional toll inherent in this work. Access to support has proven integral to Fellows’ longevity in the field: more than 90% remain in the immigration field after graduation, sustaining capacity on the ground.

- Since 2014, IJC has trained over 230 lawyers and advocates
- From an initial class of 35 Fellows in the New York City area, IJC has scaled 85 to 13 states and 33 different cities
- IJC Fellows have substantially increased the capacity of 42+ non-profit organizations
- We have saved our low-income clients $4 million in application fees
- 100% of IJC’s inaugural class of 25 Justice Fellows are working in the immigration field
- 92% of IJC’s first three classes of Justice Fellows (69/75) remain working in the immigration field
- 43% of IJC’s first three classes of Community Fellows (13/30) are in, or have graduated from, law school
- Graduated Community Fellows have attended prestigious law schools including NYU, Yale, Columbia, and CUNY
- More than 30 graduated Justice Fellows hold supervisory positions at legal and community-based organizations
- Alumni continue to assist immigrants in 13 states
- Fellows have served over 84,000 immigrants and obtained positive outcomes in 90% of completed cases
- The work of Fellows has helped secure government funding for universal representation programs in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Nevada

Immigrant Justice Corps promised to build the next generation of immigration lawyers and policymakers and we are delivering on that promise.