IJC Fellows have "been nothing short of transformative"
Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) is proud to partner with legal services and community-based organizations on the frontlines of the fight to expand access to immigrant justice. We cherish our partnerships with host organizations striving to meet the needs of immigrant communities in less resourced geographies. Each year, our host organizations join us in working to meet the growing need for quality legal assistance.
We asked our partners to share the impact IJC Fellows had on their organizations and immigrant communities. Here is what they had to say:
“In the past year, our IJC Fellow has assisted 13 immigrant youth in our community in applying for immigration status. This work has been transformative for these families. In one case, our community partner referred a case of a young Honduran teen who was turning 18 in two weeks, meaning that he would lose a pathway to lawful status without immediate legal help. Our fellow jumped into action, meeting with him and drafting the court petition in a mere two days, and then appearing in an emergency court hearing less than a week later, mere days before his 18th birthday. She won the case, and he is now on the path to permanent residency, secure in his future here in the United States.”
Mary Yanik
Associate Clinical Professor of Law & Director of Immigrant Rights Clinic, Tulane Law School
“We are so grateful to partner with IJC. For the last ten years, we have represented children in their immigration cases, but rarely have we had the capacity to support their families. Hosting IJC Fellows has allowed Project Ishmael to not only increase the number of children we represent, but also to support parents and other family members as well. Our Fellows are currently working on asylum, U visa, T visa, VAWA, and Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) cases. We have much gratitude for IJC.”
Angela Davis
Founder & Attorney, Project Ishmael
“At Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS), the work of our Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Fellows, Jaime and Sofia, has been nothing short of transformative. This year, their combined efforts have allowed us to double the number of individuals we serve. Together, they carry over 100 open matters, which account for over half of our Immigration Project’s current caseload. Beyond the sheer volume, their contributions are invaluable—they mentor pro bono attorneys, help plan and execute legal clinics in collaboration with law firms and provide critical information to immigrant communities through outreach and trainings.”
Keighly Rector
Director, Immigration Project, Volunteers of Legal Service
We are so proud of the work we’ve done with our partners in immigrant communities. Over the past ten years, we have trained over 500 lawyers and advocates and served more than 125,000 immigrants and their families. Thank you to all our Fellows and host organization partners for making this critical work possible!
