Mission & values
The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) helps low income immigrants improve their legal status and works for more just and humane laws and policies affecting immigrants.
Values
Social Justice
Our commitment to social justice underpins our commitment to action. We believe all people, regardless of legal status or country of origin, deserve the opportunity to improve their circumstances. In our work on client cases and on systemic change, we do not waver in our efforts to ensure immigrants are valued and treated justly in our society.
We know having access to legal help greatly improves the outcome in many complex legal cases, so we strive for low barriers to our services. We deploy our resources to serve the most vulnerable individuals in cases where our legal help can have the greatest effect. We share our knowledge of immigration law and processes widely to empower our clients to understand them and to help themselves. When laws and policies are unjust and we can play a role in their change, we work with our advocacy partners to advance causes of justice and equity for all immigrants.
Integrity
We are honest and trustworthy in what we do and say. We tell the truth, even when it is difficult to hear. We are a trusted and credible resource. We act ethically with clients, government agencies, supporters, policy makers, community partners, the media, and the public. We follow the laws, even when we find laws unjust and hope to change them. We take responsibility for our actions and are deliberate and thoughtful in our pursuit of justice. We use our training and expertise to work hard for successful results for our clients. We do our work with passion, persistence, and heart.
Respect
We show courtesy, compassion, and respect for the language, culture, religion, and circumstances of our clients. Respect also permeates our relationship with staff, allies, adversaries, Board, volunteers, and supporters. We are at our best when we work with others to seek broad and diverse input and search for common ground to solve problems. Within our organization, we nurture leadership, share knowledge, recognize contributions, and prize teamwork. We support the well-being of our staff and volunteers, and we encourage and value professional growth.
