New York Immigrant Legal Aid: A List of Organizations and Helpful Tips
'03.02.2021'
Vita Popova
Immigrants must clearly know their rights in order to be able to defend them. Especially now - when quarantine has created problems with visas and status renewals for thousands of immigrants. New York provides comprehensive support to visitors, the main thing is to know where to go for help.
The following is useful information on where immigrants in New York seek legal advice, where low-income residents and students can get support, and what rights they generally have.
Lawyer consulting
One of the many problems that immigrants face is finding reliable organizations or attorneys who provide legal advice. The following organizations offer free counseling for immigrants in New York. This is not an exhaustive list, but it does offer a variety of options that exist in the city. The list was published on the site. City Limits.
- Atlas: DIY, Developing Immigrant Youth
Address: 462 36th Street, Brooklyn
Site: www.atlasdiy.org
Phone: (347) 599-1641
Consultation hours: Thursday and Friday from 10am to 17pm.
Specialization: young people aged 14 to 24 years.
- Catholic Charities Community Services
Address: 80 Maiden Lane, 13th floor, Manhattan
Website: www.catholiccharitiesny.org
Phone: (212) 419-3700
Consultation hours: Thursday, until 8am, in turn.
Specialization: minors separated from their parents (minors under 21 years of age unaccompanied by adults), refugees.
- Catholic Migration Services
Address: has two locations. The Brooklyn office is located at 191 Joralemon Street, fourth floor. The Queens office is located at 47-01 Queens Boulevard (on 47th Street), office 201, second floor.
Website: www.catholicmigration.org
Phone: (718) 236-3000
Hours of consultation: consultations are provided once a month. Consultations on visas and citizenship are held twice a month.
Specialization: visas (for all ages), refugees, VAWA and DACA.
- The Immigrant Center/Project Hospitality
Address: 350 Port Richmond Avenue, Staten Island
Website: www.elcentronyc.org
Phone: (718) 420-6466
Hours of consultation: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 20:00. Thursday from 16:00 to 18:00. You must make an appointment, this must be done by phone.
Specialization: citizenship, family applications, DACA, U, T visas and renewal of work permits.
- Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Address: 333 7th Ave #1600, Manhattan
Site: www.hias.org/what/new-york
Phone: (212) 613-1341
Consultation hours: with 9: 00 to 15: 00
Specialization: mainly refugees. You must live in New York to seek help.
- Legal Services NYC
Address: 40 Worth Street, Suite 606, Manhattan
Website: www.legalservicesnyc.org/about-us/contact-us
Phone: (646) 442-3600
Consultation hours: Monday through Friday from 10:99 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. To make an appointment, call the hotline: 917-661-4500.
Specialization: refugees and victims of violence; You can also contact sponsorship for relatives.
- Saint peter's church
Address: 619 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan
Website: www.iglesiadesion.com
Phone: (646) 244-5404
Consultation hours: Wednesday from 16:00 to 18:00. Sunday from 13:30 to 16:30. It works in turn, if there are no people, lawyers leave early.
Specialization: young people
- Safe Passage Project, New York Law School
Address: 185 West Broadway, Manhattan
Site: www.safepassageproject.org
Phone: (212) 324-6558
Consultation hours: Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 18:00. Be sure to pre-call and make an appointment.
Specialization: minors under 21 years old.
Assistance on various issues to low-income immigrants
Organization Legal Services NYCproviding legal aid to low-income New Yorkers, has also strengthened its support for immigrants.
“There are currently 300 volunteer lawyers from more than 20 major law firms and corporations working with LSNYC, representing hundreds of low-income immigrants,” the organization's website said.
New Yorkers can find support at LSNYC on a variety of issues, including applications for naturalization, work permits, status changes, replacing permanent residence cards, applying for immigrant visas, and others.
“Our services are holistic, providing immigrants with housing, benefits and language assistance. We work closely with clients and community partners to ensure that immigrants have a successful path to citizenship, ”the organization said.
Community College CONNECT Project
Immigrant students can find support through the Community College CONNECT project. The goal of the project is to support low income immigrant community college students. To this end, LSNYC provides legal advice, organizes advocacy. Lawyers advise students on issues such as:
- threats of homelessness as a result of illegal evictions or denial of tenure;
- physical, emotional, legal, and economic difficulties associated with domestic violence;
- financial crises.
Education Rights Project
Education Rights helps overcome the language barriers people face in obtaining benefits, services and access to justice. “We are in litigation challenging the failure of various city agencies to provide legal access to language, and are working with local community partners to engage federal, state and local agencies to expand language rights for all immigrant communities,” the statement said. on the organization's website.
Immigrant Rights
Immigrants in New York must remember their rights and defend them, recalls on the site legalservicesnyc.org.
You have the right:
- to be silent;
- get the services of an interpreter;
- get a lawyer;
- Do not answer questions about your place of birth, immigration status, or how you came to the United States;
- Do not sign documents whose contents you do not understand;
- ask about whether you are detained. If you are not detained, you can leave.
Information about the documents:
- Do not carry fake ID or immigration documents with you.
- Do not carry documents about your country of origin with you. If members of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Police (ICE) come to your home, they can only enter the house if: anyone in the house allows them to enter; or they have a search warrant signed by a judge, indicating the name and address of the person they are looking for. Ask the ICE employee to slip the order under the door or through the window. Otherwise, just do not open the doors.
- In all cases: Carry a valid green card, work permit, ID card from New York State or New York City;
- Make copies of all your immigration documents and hand the copies to a trusted family member or friend;
- Carry notifications of any ongoing immigration lawsuits or court hearings;
- Remember the phone numbers of a family member / friend and immigration lawyer or legal representative;
- Find and remember the emergency number of the consulate of your country.
Important information for parents:
- Find someone you trust to take care of your children if you are detained: make sure your children have this person’s phone number and know what to do if you do not return home;
- Make sure that school staff know who can and should not take your child out of school;
- Write down instructions if your child has a medical condition;
- Prepare a power of attorney to allow a relative or friend to make decisions regarding your child;
- If your children are US citizens, make sure they have American passports. You can apply for a passport at any U.S. post office and website travel.state.gov.
In case of detention by ICE staff:
- Tell your family and friends how to find you: family and friends can call the U.S. Immigration and Customs at 212-264-5085 or call search on this site.
Legal Aid Hotline Open Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 16:00: 917-661-4500. Consultations are provided in your preferred language.
