by: Bryant Garcia, Co-Executive Director, La Esperanza
La Esperanza is a Department of Justice-recognized nonprofit organization that employs DOJ-accredited staff to provide legal immigration advice and representation to immigrants and their families. The recognition of our organization and our staff accreditation means the federal government has approved us to legally and properly advise immigrants and their families and represent them in their immigration cases at a very low cost. *
Why does this matter to us and the community we serve? Receiving the right counsel and help in immigration matters can protect against fraud, case denials and possible deportation. It can help you better understand your immigration case and provide ways to attain legal status or work authorization. Unfortunately, people and businesses may take advantage of immigrants and their families by offering services with promises of favorable results at a cost. Many of these people and businesses are not recognized or accredited to provide these services. This can jeopardize your case and cost you money. Even well-meaning people who want to help and provide these services for free can put you at risk. It is vital that you ensure the person giving you legal advice and immigration assistance is an attorney or accredited representative working for a DOJ-recognized organization. No one else is authorized to give you legal advice about immigration matters.
What about people or businesses who just complete immigration forms and do not give legal advice? There is a fine line between legal advice and form preparation or completion. Often, immigration forms require technical legal knowledge to be completed properly. Simply telling an immigrant which forms to complete and file and which documents to include can be seen as giving legal advice. For protection and peace of mind, seek the help of an experienced attorney or accredited representative even to complete forms.
Immigrants and their families are always free to choose where they receive immigration legal services and assistance. We understand that services may be limited or costly where you live. Consider the risks of seeking help from nonauthorized service providers.
La Esperanza is here to help. Contact La Esperanza if you need immigration legal services or to learn more about authorized legal service providers.
*The U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) states:
“Federal regulations at 8 C.F.R. § 1292.1(a)(4) allow non-attorney ‘Accredited Representatives’ to represent aliens before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which includes the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). These representatives are accredited through the Recognition and Accreditation (R&A) Program, which aims to increase the availability of competent immigration legal representation for low-income and indigent persons, thereby promoting the effective and efficient administration of justice. Accredited Representatives may only provide immigration legal services through Recognized Organizations. Only nonprofit, federally tax-exempt entities may apply to be recognized.”