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Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

  • Location:
    2533 W. 3rd St
    Suite 101
    Los Angeles, CA 90057
  • Phone:
    (213) 353-1333
  • Toll-free:
    1-888-624-4752
  • Fax:
    (213) 353-1344
  • Contact methods:
    Drop-in, Email, Fax, Mail/Letter, Phone calls, Website
  • Appointments accepted:
    Yes

CHIRLA’S mission is to achieve a just society, fully inclusive of immigrants. CHIRLA was founded in 1986 to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees. CHIRLA became a place for organizations and people who support human rights to work together for policies that advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants.

CHIRLA’s first director was Father Luis Olivares, the pastor at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church. As a leading voice of the Sanctuary movement, Olivares used his church to protect refugees fleeing human rights abuses in Central America in the 1980s.

CHIRLA has since become one of the largest and most effective advocates for immigrant rights, organizing, educating and defending immigrants and refugees in the streets, in the courts, and in the halls of power.

At CHIRLA, civic-minded immigrant families work for a world where they are free to move, participate in democracy, and enjoy human rights. CHIRLA relies on the love and vision of our community to organize and build power among people, institutions, and organizations to change public opinion and craft progressive policies that promote human, civil and labor rights for everyone.

State served: California
Detention Facilities Served: Adelanto Detention Center (CA), James A. Musick Jail (CA), Santa Ana City Jail (CA), Theo Lacy Facility (CA)

Services Provided

Are immigration legal services provided? Yes
Areas of immigration legal assistance: Adjustment of Status, Asylum applications, Consular Processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Employment authorization, Family-based petitions, Humanitarian Parole, NACARA, Naturalization/Citizenship, P1 or P2 for Afghans, Removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), T visas, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions
Types of immigration legal services provided: Help completing forms, 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)
Other areas of legal assistance: Employment
Non-legal services: Administrative advocacy (CIS/ICE/CBP), Citizenship / Civics classes, Housing referrals, Language services, Legal Orientation Programs (LOP) / Know Your Rights Presentations (KYR), Legislative advocacy (state or national), Referrals to other services
Populations served: Detained individuals, Domestic Violence Victims, Farm workers, 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: Dari, English, Mandarin Chinese, Pashto, Spanish
Access to a commercial interpreting service or language bank: Yes
Nominal fee charged? Yes
Other information: Can also serve Unaccompanied Minors and Refugees from Central America and provide services for DHS FOIA requests and Advance Parole. This organization can accept clients statewide.

Staffing Information

Number of attorneys on staff: 10
Is organization BIA recognized? Yes
Number of fully accredited BIA representatives on staff: 2
Number of partially accredited BIA representatives on staff: 7
Number of paralegals/legal workers on staff: 10

Additional Details

Pro Bono opportunities? Yes
Network affiliations: American Immigration Lawyers Association, Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, Asista, Boat People SOS, Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), Central American Resource Center, Detention Watch Network, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Immigration Advocates Network, Kids In Need of Defense, National Immigration Project, United Farm Workers, National Partnership for New Americans

Volunteering

Volunteer Coordinator
Zuleyma Barajas
Other Information Membership and Volunteer Coordinator