National Immigration Law Center Links
Rights During Immigration Raids
The Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center (KGACLC) Immigration Practice Area provides free legal services to low-income individuals who seek:
Assistance and orientation regarding T visas for victims of Human Trafficking
- The T visa was created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, and allows people who have been trafficked into the US to remain in the US while the case against their trafficker is pursued. The T visa was created in the hope that by offering victims a way to remain in the US lawfully, they would be more willing to contact authorities with information about traffickers.
- Trafficking in persons includes the recruitment or transportation of persons through force, fraud or coercion for the purposes of modern-day slavery or involuntary servitude. Victims of this growing transnational crime problem – predominantly women and children – are trafficked into a wide variety of exploitative settings, ranging from the sex industry to domestic servitude to forced labor on farms and in factories.
Please make an appointment during one of our Immigration clinics to discuss you particular situation.
Assistance and orientation regarding U Visas for Victims of Crimes
- The U visa is available to immigrants who are either victims of or who possess information concerning one of the following forms of criminal activity: rape, torture, trafficking, incest, domestic violence, sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, prostitution, sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, hostage holding, peonage, involuntary servitude, slave trade, kidnapping, abduction, unlawful criminal restraint, false imprisonment, blackmail, extortion, manslaughter, murder, felonious assault, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, perjury, or attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit one of these offenses. A federal, state, or local official must certify that an investigation or prosecution would be harmed without the assistance of the immigrant or, in the case of a child, the immigrant’s parent.
Please make an appointment during one of our Immigration clinics to discuss you particular situation.
Assistance and orientation regarding self-petitions based on VAWA (the Violence Against Women Act)
- Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed by Congress in 1994, the spouses and children of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPR) may self-petition to obtain lawful permanent residency. The immigration provisions of VAWA allow certain battered immigrants to file for immigration relief without the abuser’s assistance or knowledge, in order to seek safety and independence from the abuser.
Please make an appointment during one of our Immigration clinics to discuss you particular situation.
Assistance and orientation regarding a petition for Political Asylum or regarding Deportation Defense
- In 1981, the Refugee Act was passed. Asylum and/or Refugee Status was to be granted to anyone outside of his or her own country of Nationality (or already in the United States) who is “unable or unwilling to return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”.
If you are in deportation proceedings because your asylum application has been denied, we may be able to assist you based on our available resources at the time.
Please make an appointment during one of our Immigration clinics to discuss you particular situation.
Assistance or orientation regarding Acquired Citizenship
- Acquired Citizenship is US citizenship conferred at birth on children born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent(s). If you are having trouble proving your US citizenship or that of your child or children, we may be able to assist you based on our available resources at the time.
The Community Law Center offers advice clinics twice-a-month regarding the afore-mentioned issues. See our current clinic schedule.
Depending on the available resources, the KGACLC may decide to offer full legal representation to a limited number of clients seen during its legal clinics. Although these representation services are free, there may be other costs that will not be covered by the KGACLC. Such costs may include court fees, mailing fees, interpreting fees, etc.
Please make an appointment during one of our Immigration clinics to discuss you particular situation.
