Hotline Intake Paralegal and Program Coordinator

Organizational Background and Position

The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) is a New York City-based nonprofit that works to secure fairness and justice for all immigrants by transforming the racially-biased criminal and immigration systems. IDP was founded almost thirty years ago to address the crisis of escalating criminalization and mass deportation. Our work attacks the injustices at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems via a multi-pronged strategy that includes strengthening immigrant defense through technical assistance and trainings, challenging unfair laws through impact litigation, shaping local, state, and federal policy through advocacy, and working alongside communities to build alliances and education.

IDP plays a key role in this pivotal moment for the immigrant justice movement, with the rapid acceleration of criminalization coinciding with attacks on democratic processes and constitutional protections. We are hiring a Hotline Intake and Program Coordinator to anchor the work of our Hotline and Community Defense team.

Hotline and Community Defense

IDP’s hotline is a national hotline that provides in-depth legal analysis services for immigrants with New York ties who have had contact with the criminal legal system. Yearly, we respond to hundreds of calls from directly impacted individuals, their loved ones, and advocates. IDP staff answer questions and provide detailed individualized analysis about the impact of criminal legal system contacts–on eligibility for immigration benefits and risks of immigration policing (raids)–as well as referrals for counsel. Additionally the Hotline Team analyzes immigration policing tactics to develop Know Your Rights and other resources for immigrants and partners providing community education, and to inform legal strategy, advocacy and narrative work. Our team also provides trainings to legal service providers to help them serve immigrants who have had contact with the criminal legal system.

IDP’s Hotline Intake and Program Coordinator plays a key role in our hotline, working closely with the IDP attorneys who staff the hotline and under the supervision of the Director of Hotline and Community Defense. Responsibilities include monitoring and returning messages from our hotline, conducting intake interviews by phone, collecting documentation by email and fax, providing information to callers about the legal systems they are interacting with, directing calls to attorneys for legal analysis, and maintaining and managing our hotline database. The Coordinator will also work with hotline team members to develop internal resources to help improve the functioning and oversight of the hotline, as well as external resources and trainings focused on community education and community defense.

Coordinator Responsibilities Include:

Hotline Intake (45-50%)

• Check and manage hotline voicemail, email inquiries, and webform submissions
• Conduct intake interviews with hotline callers and identify urgent calls for immediate attorney involvement
• Screen and refer calls that do not fit issues related to the mission of IDP, to ensure that callers are directed efficiently and appropriately to other organizations or attorneys who can provide assistance
• Collect documents from callers, gather public case information from criminal and immigration court websites, and assess when document collection is complete for attorney analysis
• Provide systems information to callers to help them navigate the criminal and immigration legal systems they are interacting with.
• Issue-spot for potential legal remedies such as post-conviction relief or pardons
• Maintain documentation and accurate notes about actions taken during the intake process in online case management system
• Maintain referral information and communicate regularly with direct legal service providers and other partner organizations
• Answer mail from incarcerated individuals by providing referrals and resources

Database Management (20-25%)

• Ensure client and attorney database information is accurate and up-to-date
• Manage and update database customizations to maximize staff efficiency
• Help identify trends and flag successful outcomes
• Assist with data collection for grant and contract reports, and for tracking ICE enforcement trends

Resource Creation (20-25%)

• Collaborate with hotline team members to create internal resources to support hotline intakes, advice, and resource creation
• Work with hotline team members to create and update community-facing resources and trainings on topics related to issues that frequently arise on the hotline
• As needed, Spanish translation assistance or review of translated materials.

Additional Job Requirements (5-10%) May Include:

• Assist IDP staff with legal admin tasks including: managing organizational email lists; redacting legal documents; and providing administrative support to other teams who use the database
• As needed, assist IDP hotline team to supervise volunteers on the hotline
• As needed, liaise with legal service providers and participate in coalitions, meetings, and other spaces on IDP’s behalf, with other hotline team members.

Qualifications:

• Must be bilingual in both English and Spanish
• Experience conducting intakes with individuals, particularly related to the person’s immigration history and/or criminal history
• Experience in direct legal services preferred
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well with people, across cultures and many different lived experiences, including people who may be in crisis
• Strong communication skills: ability to write well and communicate effectively, specifically over the phone, through letters and email
• Ability to provide an explanation of immigration and/or criminal court systems using language accessible to community members
• Strong organizational skills and excellent attention to detail
• Desire and ability to work in collaborative, team based environment
• Familiarity and comfort with using computers and technology (including using web-based software, Microsoft Excel and Word, and Google Suite products like Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.)
• Personal or professional familiarity with immigration and/or criminal legal system, or other comparable experience desirable

About the position

IDP has staff working both remotely and in a hybrid mode. While this is a remote role, preference will be given to candidates in the New York City area or who can travel easily. We are mindful of the need to keep our staff healthy to ensure we can achieve our mission in the long term and believe many people thrive by working remotely and using a flexible schedule. IDP is currently operating with a 4-day work week (Monday - Thursday).

IDP offers a generous benefits package including:

• 20 vacation days, 15 sick days, and additional public holidays. Note: IDP previously had summer Fridays but is currently in a four day work week trial period to be assessed in February 2026, such that we are closed on all Fridays.
• Reimbursement for cell phone and other work from home expenses
• Paid six-week sabbatical after 6 years of employment
• Generous medical and dental benefits
• Commuter benefits, flex spending accounts and generous 401k matching program

Fluency in Spanish and English