Ensuring Justice through Comprehensive Legal Services

A Commitment to High-Quality Representation for Florida’s Immigrant Community

Florida ILJ is an immigration legal services non-profit that seeks justice for our immigrant neighbors through high-quality legal representation, application assistance, advocacy, and education on issues facing immigrants.

Throughout the state of Florida, ILJ represents a variety of immigrants on cases pertaining to humanitarian-based relief, including asylum, Citizenship, family petitions, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Deportation Defense, Adjustment of Status, and more. Our attorneys seek to provide first-rate services to our clients regardless of their ability to pay. All of our legal services are provided absolutely free.

A Lifeline for Vulnerable Children

Our Children’s Protection Program

Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, deserving safety and protection. Many have endured mistreatment and trauma in their home countries, throughout their journey, and upon arrival in the United States. Our program provides legal representation to unaccompanied children who have been released from immigration detention, regardless of their eligibility for relief. This approach ensures that every child receives assistance, offering equal access to justice for our most vulnerable populations, no matter the strengths or challenges of their cases.

Our Comprehensive Naturalization Program

Embracing Citizenship

Naturalization transforms lawful U.S. residents into citizens, a rigorous and expensive process that our attorneys skillfully guide clients through. In partnership with Learning Empowered, we offer a comprehensive Citizenship Program based in Tampa Bay. This includes Citizenship Instruction Classes, assistance with Naturalization applications, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, delivered in a flexible hybrid model accessible statewide. For more information about our ESOL and Citizenship classes, visit Learning Empowered. If you’re prepared to apply for Citizenship, schedule an appointment with us today.

Other Services

Florida ILJ extends its services beyond established programs. Immigrants with humanitarian relief cases may qualify for our representation. While we strive to take as many cases as possible, those we can’t accommodate are referred to other area nonprofits. The case types listed below represent our most commonly provided services.

Family Petition:

This two-step process requires a family member with legal status to first file a petition for their immigrant relative. Only spouses, parents, or adult children can apply for certain family members. Once the Family Petition is approved, the client may apply for an immigrant visa or green card.

Adjustment of Status:

Whether as part of a family petition, or based on refugee status or having been a victim of trafficking or a crime, our attorneys assist clients seeking adjustment of status under the various eligibility categories under the law.

VAWA (Violence Against Women Act):

Under VAWA, an abused spouse, parent, or child of a U.S. citizen or LPR (green card holder) can apply for lawful permanent residence without the abuser’s knowledge, allowing the victim to independently seek safety and lawful status.

U Visa:

The U Visa encourages undocumented victims of violent crimes to report incidents without fear of deportation. Among other tasks, our attorneys assist these victims in securing a “law enforcement certification” to prove their helpfulness to the police.

Asylum Program:

People flee their home countries for various reasons, often escaping persecution based on race, religion, political ideology, gender, ethnicity, or social group affiliation, qualifying them for asylum. Our Miami-based asylum program’s attorneys provide representation to ensure no one is forced back to a life of persecution, torture, or potential death. We assist with work authorization, removal dismissal or proceedings, asylum applications & court appearances, and provide tailored legal representation. To check your eligibility for our asylum program, schedule an advice and counsel session here.

Temporary Protected Status:

Temporary Protected Status is a temporary protection against deportation afforded to immigrants already in the United States on a given date that is designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security based on unsafe country conditions, such as war, environmental disasters, and other extraordinary and temporary conditions. Our attorneys assist eligible nationals from those designated countries apply for status protection and obtain their work authorization.

Know-Your-Rights and Advice and Counsel:

We host and partner with other organizations to present informational sessions in hopes of educating and bridging the legal immigration access gap. By providing advice and counsel sessions, we are often the first and only time an immigrant will access trustworthy legal advice. Even when the person ends up not being eligible for any current form of relief, having a legal intake is critical to protect themselves against fraud and the unlicensed practice of law and to gain a better understanding of their rights. Laws are constantly changing and we encourage those we meet to monitor for changes in the laws that could impact available forms of relief.

Other Services:

We help clients apply for or renew DACA applications, renew their permanent residence cards or work authorizations, remove conditions on their permanent residence cards, obtain records through FOIA petitions, etc. We also assist clients in applying for new forms of relief through new programs that become available from time to time.

If you believe you qualify for these or other forms of humanitarian relief, you may schedule an Advice and Counsel appointment to explore your options here.