We are Advocates for Immigrant Rights because:
we believe:
That truth is the foundation of trust
That every person deserves to be free, treated with respect, kindness and dignity
That our individual action or inaction impacts the collective
That our legal system is only as strong as the protections it provides to the most vulnerable populations living in this country
we are committed to:
Building trust with our clients, amongst one another, and throughout the community
Advocating and providing legal care with grace and humanity and standing in solidarity against the challenges faced by immigrants
Positively impacting immigrants without their financial means being a determining factor
we strive to:
Make room for all voices and perspectives even when it is uncomfortable
Honoring one another’s contributions to our collective work
Genuine evaluation of our capabilities in setting expectations, accounting for our actions and taking responsibility for their consequences
Our Mission
The mission of Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) is to fight for the dignity, safety, and inclusion of immigrants in the United States, especially those most marginalized, through legal representation and advocacy.
We fight for the rights of immigrants but also for the expansion of those rights to ensure that all people are equally protected by the laws of the United States. AIR seeks to create structural and systemic change by coordinating with other legal service providers and community-based organizations to complement our skills and build our mutual capacity. Our service model inherently provides for relationships that will propel our work and the work of our partners.
Direct Services
Detention Defense
We represent people who have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and are currently being held in ICE facilities. We work with our clients on the phone, through video appointments, and in person to prepare requests for parole, bond, and, when those options are not available, to represent someone in their immigration case from detention. Most of our clients are detained in Louisiana and Mississippi, though we will consider representing clients who are detained in other places under certain circumstances. These cases tend to be resolved in a shorter amount of time than cases that are not detained.
Removal Defense
For people who are released from detention and/or for people who have their immigration court outside of detention facilities (most of our clients have court in Memphis, TN) we provide representation to defend their rights to stay in the United States. We will work with our clients in person, as well as on the phone or through video appointments, to collect documents, prepare applications, and provide in-person representation in court. Sometimes the applications we file in these cases are not with the court, but with the immigration office (USCIS). Immigration court cases can sometimes take years to resolve and involve multiple applications for relief from removal.
Appeals
For people whose applications have been denied by an Immigration Judge, we can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and argue that the Immigration Judge’s decision was wrong. This process can last for a few months for people in detention and can last a few years for people who are not detained. We also help people to appeal a BIA decision to the federal court.
Affirmative Applications
Our practice is primarily focused on removal defense and we take limited affirmative cases - where people who do not have court want to apply for some kind of legal status. We file applications for Asylum/Withholding of Removal, U-Visa, family sponsorship, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and other types of applications with the immigration office (USCIS). We also identify and fight other legal issues that immigrant communities face.
Fees
For an initial consultation, we charge $100.00. Consultation fees may be waived in certain cases, please discuss your concerns when making an appointment. We do not charge a consultation fee for people who are detained. To provide accessible legal representation, we use a fee for service model that takes into account a person’s circumstances at each phase of their case and our understanding of marginalized communities as well as acknowledges our organizational need to be self-sustaining.
Consultations
Before we will schedule a consultation, we need to collect some information about you. You can call or send us a text message at 901.729.9560 or click on this link to schedule a short call when we can ensure that we are available.
For people who are detained, once we receive information about the person, we will schedule a detained consultation directly, free of charge. For people calling from detention, we can be reached via speed dial using code 10057# or at 901-206-4440.