PROGRAMS

ILAP is a non-profit legal services office that provides free and low-fee immigration related legal assistance, representation and community education to low-income immigrants and service providers in the State of Maine.


IMMIGRATION CLINIC

We offer legal consultations on a walk-in basis each Friday at  ILAP’s Portland office, or twice a month by appointment at the Lewiston Multipurpose Center. The Clinic consultation is ILAP’s first point of contact with our clients. ILAP also has a toll-free hotline for telephonic consultations any day for those not within easy reach of Portland or Lewiston.

Clinic clients who need expert legal support but who lack major complications receive additional Immigration Clinic services such as assistance preparing immigration applications and interview preparation or other extended assistance, so that there is little chance that their cases will develop complications requiring full representation.


FULL REPRESENTATION

ILAP provides free or low-fee attorney representation through ILAP’s legal staff or Pro bono Panel attorneys to individuals whose cases present complex legal issues and may be denied without attorney intervention. Common full representation cases include:

• Asylum – We protect human rights by representing those fleeing persecution in their quest for asylum.

• Domestic Violence or Victims of Crimes – We assist non-citizen domestic violence victims or victims of harassment, stalking and sexual assault in gaining lawful status in the U.S. so they have can have the best possible chance of breaking the cycle of violence in order to live independently and safely. Obtaining lawful status also enables these individuals to safely provide information in the investigation or prosecution of crimes committed against them or members of their families.

• Family Unity – We promote family unity and stability by assisting with family visa applications, and representing family members of U.S. citizens and residents in removal proceedings.

• Naturalization – We help persons apply for U.S. citizenship, so that they can have full rights and responsibilities in their adopted land.

Education & Outreach

Acting on incorrect immigration law information is a common cause for immigration law complications among low-income individuals. Through dozens of events held each year across the state, ILAP provides accurate immigration law information to Maine’s immigrant communities, and to service providers who work with low-income immigrants, in order to help them avoid immigration problems that would require full representation to resolve.

ILAP provides education, training, and outreach in the following areas:

• immigration remedies for noncitizen victims of domestic violence for DV prevention program staff

• workshops for immigrant community groups regarding their constitutional and immigration law rights

• workshops for service providers and immigrant groups regarding changes in immigration laws and procedures since September 11th, 2001

• forums concerning immigration law reform proposals pending in Congress

If you are a social services provider, attorney, business owner, or member of a community group and you would like to arrange to have ILAP provide an informational session on relevant laws or issues, please email bstickney@ilapmaine.org, or call 207.780.1593 and ask to speak with Beth.


Impact Project

ILAP works to promote systemic change that will improve the quality of life for Maine’s immigrants and will also reduce the numbers of persons needing individualized legal aid. Examples of recent work include:

• ILAP has worked with the Maine Judicial Branch to improve language access to Maine’s courts, resulting in an administrative order issued on October 11, 2006 clearly stating for the first time that persons with limited English have a right to an interpreter at court expense in all civil and criminal court proceedings.

• ILAP, together with the Center for Prevention of Hate Violence and Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program, began a series of trainings for the Maine State Police to engender trust between immigrant communities and police.

• ILAP has worked with Department of Health and Human Services administrators in Augusta regarding revising DHHS’s internal procedures manuals for the MaineCare and TANF programs, which make reference to outdated immigration laws and legal statuses, in order to reduce the number of improper denials of those benefits to immigrants.

• ILAP, together with other Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition partners provided testimony and other work to successfully block bills that would have greatly restricted immigrant access to drivers’ licenses and to insurance. ILAP helped draft substitute language that was approved and provided for continued access to these benefits.

• ILAP proposed legislation which was enacted in 2006 that prohibits “unauthorized practitioners” from practicing immigration law, and provides for civil remedies and sanctions against those who do. Many individuals who come to ILAP needing full legal representation were previously “helped” by unauthorized practitioners who, for a fee, prepared immigration applications but made mistakes that created legal complications.
  
  If you would like to be updated when key legislative issues related to immigration are being debated at the local and national levels, please contact us at bstickney@ilapmaine.org.

Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition (MIRC)

In 2005, ILAP formed the MIRC, inviting allies who believe in social and economic justice for all Mainers to work in coalition on issues impacting Maine’s immigrants.

The MIRC strives to unite the collective voices of immigrants, service providers, faith communities, advocacy organizations and citizens to more effectively advocate for laws, policies and practices that will enhance the quality of life of Maine’s immigrants and to overcome policies and practices that result in discrimination against or exploitation of Maine’s immigrants.

Current partners in the coalition include Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program, El Centro Latino, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, Maine Council of Churches, Maine People’s Alliance, Maine Migrant Health, the NAACP Portland Branch, Peace Action Maine, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.