New name.
Same mission.
LIRS is now Global Refuge.
Welcoming newcomers since 1939.
See Our EvolutionImmigration Legal Services
Where Immigration Law and Policy Meet Practice
Immigration legal services is one of our newest ministries of service and justice.
The U.S. immigration legal system is extremely complex and challenging to navigate. Newcomers often struggle to access immigration benefits due to cost burdens, language and cultural barriers, and case backlogs. Our Legal Services team aims to break down these barriers.
Historic levels of forced displacement worldwide have increased the demand for free and low-cost immigration legal services by persons seeking humanitarian protection in the United States. With over 85 years of experience as a resettlement agency, we understand the toll that uncertain immigration outcomes and prolonged family separation can have on survivors of persecution, armed conflict, societal violence, and environmental disasters. Our immigration legal services program exists to help newcomers regain agency, achieve stability for themselves and their families in the U.S., and contribute to supporting loved ones abroad.
Global Refuge believes that access to high-quality immigration legal services honors the inherent dignity of the people we serve while also contributing to efforts to improve the immigration system. Research shows markedly improved legal outcomes for individuals represented in their immigration cases.
Access to legal representation can help individuals access secure critical documentation and work authorization more quickly – benefiting newcomers and their receiving communities. However, challenges such as a shortage of non-profit immigration legal service providers result in many newcomers often being left underserved.
Our immigration legal services program offers high-quality immigration legal services from a trauma-informed and culturally proficient perspective. We understand that access to immigration legal protections can increase employment/economic stability, open doors for academic achievement, and improve physical and mental health. That is why we are committed to using the U.S. Department of Justice’s Recognition and Accreditation program to build legal services capacity and to ensure services are provided by individuals with lived experience. As a faith-based, non-profit organization we are committed to providing these services at no cost or low cost to our clients.
Finally, we wish to ensure that all applicants, whether represented by counsel or not, have access to a fair, efficient, and just immigration legal system. Through our experience representing clients and providing technical support and assistance to our network of affiliates, we use data to detect, analyze, and advocate for systemic changes within the immigration system to benefit the greater good.
Our Immigration Legal Services
Our legal program focuses on supporting clients in their cases involving humanitarian forms of relief, family-based applications, and citizenship/naturalization. The team provides immigration legal screening, case consultations, pro se assisted services, direct representation, and assistance with case inquiries and escalation for eligible clients.
At present, the Global Refuge Legal Services team provides services to:
- Eligible Afghan Humanitarian Arrivals
- Eligible Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees
- Eligible participants in the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP)
- Certain clients who have been referred by Global Refuge field offices in Baltimore, Maryland; Fargo, North Dakota; and San Antonio, Texas.
- Select government, community-based, and network-affiliated organizations that are seeking to partner to deliver immigration legal services through legal clinics and workshop models, including screening for relief, naturalization, Temporary Protected Status, re-parole, and work permit clinics.
Our Values
Rooted in our Lutheran heritage and inspired by our values, our legal services team approaches our work with the advocacy, care, and empowerment that is consistent with faith teachings. Learn more from the ELCA.
Questions and Referrals
For questions about referrals to our Baltimore, Fargo, and San Antonio offices, please send an email to our legal services team or contact your case manager.
“We are called to serve our siblings in a way that honors their inherent dignity, protects their human rights, and seeks justice for all who seek safety and protection.”
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