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Services Provided
<br /> Immigrant Defenders Law Center(IminDel)is a leading social justice law firm dedicated to defending immigrant
<br /> communities against systemic injustices in the legal system.Founded in 2015 by experienced public interest
<br /> immigration attorneys,ImmDef operates on the principle that access to due process in the immigration system is a
<br /> fundamental human right. Guided by a model of universal representation,we envision a world where no immigrant
<br /> is forced to navigate an unjust immigration system alone.Since its inception,ImmDef has grown from a small team
<br /> of attorneys to over 190 dedicated staff members,reflecting the critical need for our services in the communities we
<br /> serve.With offices in Los Angeles,Riverside, Santa Ana,and San Diego,ImmDef has become the largest non-profit
<br /> pro bono provider of deportation defense in California,supported by an annual operating budget of$15,464,429 in
<br /> 2023.
<br /> ImmDef serves clients from around the globe.While 64%of our clients come from Spanish-speaking countries,the
<br /> remaining 36%are from a wide variety of nations,including Vietnam,India,Cambodia,the Philippines,Haiti,
<br /> Afghanistan,and Armenia.Approximately 60%of our clients are male,40%are female,and 56.5%are 18 years old
<br /> or younger.
<br /> ImmDef proposes to deliver comprehensive removal defense services aligned with the described deliverables by
<br /> leveraging its extensive experience and established programs.ImmDef s Children's Representation Project(CRP)
<br /> provides full-scale deportation defense to children and youth,representing clients in proceedings before Immigration
<br /> Courts,U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,and California state courts.CRP's services include asylum,
<br /> bond,and expedited removal proceedings,as well as motions to reopen or reconsider final administrative orders,
<br /> Through the Detained Youth Empowerment Program(DYEP),ImmDef offers Know Your Rights classes and legal
<br /> screenings to children in short-term ORR facilities,ensuring detained youth have the resources to navigate bond
<br /> hearings and advocate for their release.
<br /> ImmDefs Community Defense Project employs a merits-blind universal representation model,ensuring that
<br /> individuals,regardless of circumstances,have legal support in removal and detention-related proceedings.This
<br /> includes representing clients in bond hearings,parole requests,and challenges to detention conditions. Similarly,the
<br /> Post-Conviction Relief Project focuses on cases where criminal convictions impact immigration status,often
<br /> involving motions to vacate or reopen prior removal orders.This work frequently intersects with cases involving
<br /> Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and state court proceedings,meeting the deliverables for representation in related
<br /> state court matters.
<br /> For appellate cases, ImmDef s Litigation and Advocacy Project provides representation at all stages of the appeals
<br /> process,including filing motions to reopen,petitions for review,and stay requests before the Board of Immigration
<br /> Appeals and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.The project also addresses systemic issues,such as due process
<br /> violations and access to counsel,which directly align with deliverables requiring robust appellate advocacy.
<br /> In serving detained individuals,ImmDefs National Qualified Representative Program offers representation to
<br /> immigrants with serious mental health conditions who are entitled to court-appointed counsel.This program ensures
<br /> these individuals receive the necessary support throughout removal proceedings,including challenges to continued
<br /> detention.The Welcoming Project further complements these efforts by providing legal consultations and referrals
<br /> to migrants in Southern California,including those eligible for pro se assistance or who need help filing applications
<br /> for asylum and work permits.
<br /> ImmDef staff provide these comprehensive legal services with a trauma-informed approach,understanding that each
<br /> individual client's needs are unique.This means having full language access to interpreters,when we do not have a
<br /> client's native language speakers on staff,ensuring we have translated documents,and providing culturally sensitive
<br /> information. As part of this holistic approach to legal services,the case management associates we have on staff
<br /> dedicate their time to connecting our clients to social services and resources needed,as they face countless
<br /> challenges outside the courtroom.
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