Frequently Asked Questions
About the Campaign
What is the Justice Campaign?
The Justice Campaign works to end immigration detention in the United States. One of the ways we do this is by pairing volunteers with people in removal proceedings to expand access to counsel and other resources for those in our immigration enforcement system. Read more about the Campaign’s mission and story here.
How does the Campaign work?
Learn about how the Campaign works here.
Where does the Campaign work?
Learn about where we work and the partners we work with here.
How do I sign up to volunteer?
Please first create an account on our website. Then, you can view available opportunities and sign up to volunteer on our Current Volunteer Opportunities page here.
What are your volunteer opportunities/what type of volunteers do you need?
The volunteers we most commonly need are US-licensed attorneys and people who speak another language and can serve as interpreters/translators. Those are certainly not the only volunteers we need—anyone can sign up to help. Read more about our opportunities below and see the full list of Types of Volunteer Opportunities page here.
I am experiencing a problem using your website and need assistance.
If you are experiencing difficulties accessing any pages on the website, you should first ensure that you have created an account and are logged in. If you are logged in to your account, you will be able to access most of the pages on our website, including all of our training materials.
If you need additional assistance with the website, please contact us at CampaignWebsite@immcouncil.org and a staff member will assist you.
Who does the Justice Campaign work with?
The Justice Campaign works with a variety of partner organizations across the country. You can see a full list of these partner organizations here. Though we wish we could help individuals in every immigration jail across the country, we only work with those who are detained in the jails our partners serve.
Can I/how do I volunteer remotely?
Because of the pandemic, all our volunteer opportunities are currently remote.
I’m in need of legal assistance for myself or someone I know. Can you help me?
We regret that the Immigration Justice Campaign is unable to assist with individual cases. You can search for a private attorney through the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s attorney database at http://www.ailalawyer.org/. In addition, the Immigration Advocates Network has this helpful directory of free or low-cost legal service providers at https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/.
Necesito ayuda legal para mí o para alguien que conozco. ¿Puedes ayudarme?
Lamentamos que la Campaña no es capaz de ayudar con casos individuales. Podrías buscar abogado mediante el base de datos de abogados de la Asociación de Abogados de Inmigración Americana a http://www.ailalawyer.org/. Además, el Red de Defensores del Inmigración tiene un directorio útil de proveedores de servicios legales gratuitos o de bajos costos aquí: https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/.
How can I donate to the Immigration Justice Campaign?
You can make a tax-deductible donation to the Immigration Justice Campaign on our Donation page.
Does the Justice Campaign offer internships?
The Immigration Justice Campaign does not offer internships.
About Immigration Detention
Where can I find more information about the U.S. immigration system and/or immigration detention?
To learn more about immigration detention and why it should not exist, go here. To learn more about the immigration system as a whole, explore the American Immigration Council’s Fact Sheets, practice guides, and more, here.
About our Volunteer Opportunities
Where can I find your volunteer opportunities?
You can view and apply for any of our available volunteer opportunities on our Current Volunteer Opportunities page. Please note that you will need to be logged into your account in order to view and apply for specific opportunities.
Which volunteer opportunities allow for remote work?
Due to the pandemic, all volunteer opportunities are currently remote. Once volunteering in person is safe again, we expect bond, parole/release, appeals, and interpretation/translation to continue being remote volunteer opportunities.
I am not an attorney. What can I do to help?
So much!
Anyone can engage in advocacy in their community or with their elected officials. To see immediate advocacy actions you can take, go here. If you just want to stay informed about what the Campaign is doing or ways to get involved, we encourage you to create an account and sign up for our emails. Finally, you can also support the Campaign by making a tax-deductible donation on our Donation page.
If you speak Spanish (or another language) fluently you can sign up to do remote interpretation and/ or translation.
If you are a law student, paralegal, etc, you can still volunteer. We occasionally have discrete volunteers needs for people who have experience working with attorneys, like compiling what’s called a country conditions packet, or tracking down someone’s criminal record.
If you are a high school student over the age of 18 and interested in volunteering, you can create an account and look at our Volunteer Opportunities Page. We encourage all high school students interested to explore our Take Action page
Do I need malpractice insurance to volunteer?
You do not! Many of our local partners are able to provide malpractice insurance coverage for their attorney volunteers. Please make sure to indicate in your volunteer application if you have malpractice insurance or not, so we can pair you appropriately.
I’m not barred in a state where you work. Can I still volunteer?
Yes! With the exception of habeas cases, an attorney volunteer only needs to be licensed and in good standing with the bar of any U.S. state, territory, or possession.
Do you offer any stipends for volunteers?
Unfortunately, the Justice Campaign is currently unable to cover expenses incurred during volunteering.
Can attorneys with inactive bar membership participate?
Attorneys must be an active member of a state bar and in good standing in order to take on individual cases. However, attorneys with inactive bar memberships can still volunteer as a “Legal Assistant” or sign-up to interpret if they are bilingual.
How long is the typical commitment for your volunteer opportunities, and what are the costs involved?
That depends on the opportunity! While the commitment varies on a case-by-case basis, in general, volunteer opportunities take the following amount of time:
| Type of Volunteer Opportunity | Length of Commitment |
|---|---|
| Working on the ground at a detention center **inactive due to COVID** | 1 week |
| Bond representation | 3 weeks |
| Country conditions research for pro se asylum seekers | 2-4 weeks |
| Prepare release requests for detained individuals | 1-2 months (2 weeks to prepare the packet and up to 2 months of follow-up with deportation officer) |
| Full representation of noncitizen in removal proceedings (merits cases) | 3-4 months |
| Remote interpretation for merits cases | 3-4 months (the length of the case) |
| Remote interpretation assistance for release requests | 3 weeks after being paired with attorney |
| Appeals representation | 2-6 months |
Potential Costs to be Incurred by Volunteer Attorneys
These are not inclusive, nor will every case incur every cost listed. The list is over-broad, these are the most common costs we see. The Campaign unfortunately is not able to help volunteers cover these costs.
Across Case Types:
- Mailing documents to client
- Filing documents via mail
- Copying, printing, etc.
- Interpretation (we may be able to assist with translation/interpretation volunteer matchingem>)
- Travel to detention center/court (***post COVID***) (only for merits, habeas, and some bond)
Asylum/Cancellation
- Hiring expert witnesses
- Country conditions
- Medical and/or psychological evaluation
Habeas
- Pro Hac Vice admission fee, if not admitted in the relevant District court
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