what we do
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The core of ILD’s work is to provide legal access to people impacted by immigration abuses and exclusions.
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ILD provides on-campus legal services in direct partnership with educational institutions to ensure that students have easy access to free, trustworthy counsel that in turn provides the security and stability students need to focus on their education and their futures.
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Providing quality immigration legal services requires particular knowledge and experience, and — even more so in rural areas — there are simply not enough qualified immigration attorneys to meet community needs. ILD employs some of the most seasoned, respected immigration attorneys in the field who in turn train and mentor pro-bono attorneys at national law firms as well as junior attorneys placed as fellows at various nonprofits throughout California.
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Our advocacy work prioritizes abolishing immigration detention and reimagining the U.S. immigration system entirely. We regularly collaborate on efforts demanding change locally and nationally — change aimed at abolishing the structures that sanction immigrant detention and other systemic indignities.
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ILD brings litigation cases demanding accountability and due process for immigrants and challenging the conditions of immigration detention.
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Forging strong, collaborative partnerships is critical to maximizing our impact in serving our clients and pushing for systemic change. In addition to our partnerships with educational institutions, ILD attorneys bring long standing relationships with other nonprofit agencies, public defenders’ offices as well as local, statewide, and national experts in immigration direct services, litigation and policy.
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Valerie Zukin was a fierce lawyer, a wise mentor, and a kind friend. The Valerie Zukin Memorial Fellowship has been established in Valerie's honor to advance the development of more immigration lawyers like her.