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Central American Resource Center (San Francisco Office)

  • Location:
    3101 Mission St
    Suite 101
    San Francisco, CA 94110
  • Phone:
    (415) 642-4400
  • Fax:
    (415) 824-2806
  • Contact methods:
    Drop-in
  • Appointments accepted:
    Yes

Central American Resource Center's (CARECEN) Immigration Legal Services Program serves more than 5,000 low-income immigrants each year through direct legal services, community education, and advocacy. CARECEN provides vital direct services and advocacy to help create a vibrant and thriving Latino immigrant community in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Our work at CARECEN is grounded in the following principles: Immigration is a human right and individuals have the right to migrate to secure the economic, social, and cultural well being of their families. Immigrants have the right to live in security regardless of their immigration status. Immigrants have the right and the capacity to grow, learn, and develop in their new homeland. Respect and honor for diverse cultures strengthens movement building and authentic, enduring unity. Strong immigrant communities are built through education and civic engagement.

Counties served: Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, Yuba

Services Provided

Are immigration legal services provided? Yes
Areas of immigration legal assistance: Asylum applications, Consular Processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Employment authorization, Family-based petitions, NACARA, Naturalization/Citizenship, Removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, T visas, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions
Types of immigration legal services provided: Filings with USCIS, Representation at Asylum Interviews (Credible Fear Interviews, Reasonable Fear Interviews), Representation before the Immigration Court, Representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
Non-legal services: Social services
Populations served: Detained individuals, Domestic Violence Victims, Human Trafficking Survivors, Individuals who are not in legal immigration status, Individuals with criminal histories, Individuals with physical/mental disabilities, Juveniles, Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, Torture survivors
Languages spoken: English, Spanish
Access to a commercial interpreting service or language bank: No
Nominal fee charged? Yes

Staffing Information

Number of attorneys on staff: 5
Is organization BIA recognized? Yes
Number of fully accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of partially accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of paralegals/legal workers on staff: 3

Additional Details

Pro Bono opportunities? Yes
Network affiliations: American Immigration Lawyers Association, Central American Resource Center, Immigration Advocates Network, San Francisco Immigration Legal and Education Network