Immigrant Defenders Law Center

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef or Organization) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends our immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system. We envision a future where no immigrant will be forced to face an unjust immigration system alone. Our programs are a first step towards the long-term goal of providing universal representation to all immigrants facing deportation. We have expanded our office locations to respond to the needs of our clients and currently have offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, and San Diego. ImmDef is now the largest non- profit, pro bono provider of deportation defense in California. Our team provides full-scale deportation defense representation to approximately 3,000 detained or non-detained adults and children in Southern California annually.Our direct-representation programs were created with the intention of defending due process in immigration court by holding the government accountable for mistreatment of vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied children, separated families, deported veterans, immigrants with mental health disabilities, and detained community members. In addition, we advocate through impact litigation against illegal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices, inhumane conditions of confinement, and attacks on the asylum system.Our programs include: Childrens Representation Project for unaccompanied minors, refugees, and foster youth; Detained Youth Empowerment Project that provides classes, legal screenings, and representation to children detained by the government in youth shelters; Family Unity Project reuniting and providing comprehensive legal services to families who were separated as a result of the 2018 Zero Tolerance Policy or other ICE enforcement actions; National Qualified Representatives Project that serves immigrants with mental health disabilities to ensure due process and fairness in their immigration court proceedings; Local Justice Fund Programs in Long Beach, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, and Inland Empire areas that protect our communities and families from aggressive ICE enforcement; Post-Conviction Relief Program where we pursue immigration-safe outcomes and challenge unlawful criminal convictions for immigrants facing deportation; Cross-Border Initiative where we advocate daily for the human rights of asylum-seekers who have been forced back into Mexico as part of the cruel Migrant Protection Protocols program (MPP), Title 42, and other government actions aimed to curtail the rights of asylum- seekers; Deported Veterans Legal Services Project that provides post-conviction relief and legal representation to deported veterans in Mexico; and the Litigation and Advocacy Project, which focuses on challenging the ways in which the immigration enforcement machine systematically deprives individuals and families of their basic rights and constitutional protections.