Rapid Response Intake Paralegal

Make the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. Make the Road New York operates community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; Brentwood, Long Island and White Plains, Westchester County. With a membership of 28,000, MRNY tackles the critical issues facing our communities, including workplace justice, tenants’ rights, immigrant rights and civil rights, TGNCIQ justice, public education, health care access, and immigration reform. (TGNCIQ = transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex and queer). MRNY is a newly unionized workplace.

MRNY is a multi-service organization. Our member-led organizing committees -- which work on the issues named above -- implement strategies to combat shared problems, and develop leadership and the capacity for civic participation. We also provide an array of high-quality bilingual services: We offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Spanish-language literacy, computer literacy, citizenship preparation, and in-school and after-school youth programs. We have a robust legal program that offers direct representation across a spectrum of practice areas, including employment law, immigration law, housing and benefits, and TGNCIQ civil rights; we also take on impact litigation as a strategy for achieving broad change. Our health program offers facilitated enrollment into health insurance programs and SNAP benefits, a community health worker home visit program, nutrition education and emergency food pantries, health care navigation, and more.

The Rapid Response Intake Paralegal will work with our immigration Rapid Response team, which provides representation and support to community members detained by ICE and who have final orders of removal in close collaboration with our immigration organizers, while also fully integrating into our team’s immigration practice. MRNY staff are hybrid remote and in-person at least 3 days per week in the office. The position is based in our Corona, Queens office.

Key Responsibilities but not Limited to:

• Conducting comprehensive screening and intake appointments with community members and families impacted by ICE Raids, including both in-person and through legal calls with detained individuals
• Managing and triaging a high volume of intakes and handling associated data entry in internal and external data management systems, including Salesforce and AirTable; data tracking and review for accuracy; and assistance in identifying and adding necessary reporting fields;
• Assisting community members in obtaining documents necessary to support their immigration cases
• Connecting community members and families impacted by ICE raids to survival services inside and outside of MRNY
• Occasional travel between offices and to detention centers
• Making appropriate referrals to other legal service providers
• Providing legal and administrative support to immigration attorneys representing detained and non-detained individuals at risk of detention, including drafting declarations, support letters, applications, retainer agreements, closing letters and releases.
• Assisting in community education efforts, including through the reviewing and contributing to written materials, KYR presentations, and popular education workshops and participating in giving presentations/workshops.
• Supporting MRNY members and organizing campaigns through referrals to organizing and client support
• Participating in team and department meetings; meetings with external partners; and assisting with tracking and highlighting cases as necessary for development and grant reporting.

Requirements:

• Eligible to work in the US.
• Bilingual English/Spanish language fluency.
• At least two years of experience working in immigration law preferred, but not required.
• Experience working with individuals in ICE custody.
• Experience with data entry and/or data management.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Interpersonal and organizational skills of the highest caliber.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-energy environment.
• Experience with populations that make up major portions of Make the Road’s membership – such as immigrants with any status, individuals facing domestic violence, members of TGNCIQ communities, those who have experienced the criminal legal system, and youth.

Job Competencies:

• Self-starter with strong organizational skills and strong attention to detail
• Be highly professional and team oriented
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and complete assignments under strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work under pressure
• Have a working knowledge of spreadsheets, Microsoft Office suite, and using a database (ideally Salesforce)
• Ability to work some evenings or weekends as required
• High level of accountability and initiative; eager to do team work to support the organization as a whole

MRNY Salary and Benefits:

MRNY offers an excellent benefit package including health insurance, 401K, and generous paid vacation, sick, personal days. The salary range for this position is from $58,200 to $68,700.

MRNY believes that social change is best achieved through grassroots community-based organizing that flows directly from and engages the community demanding the change. As a membership-based organization, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, criminal history, or Veteran status. We strongly encourage those from historically excluded groups to apply.