ISLA: Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy

MISSION: Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA) is a legal services organization that defends the rights of our immigrant communities and advocates for just and humane immigration policy.

VISION: Our justice system's core principle is that of due process, where everyone has a fair and meaningful opportunity to be heard. We look forward to the day when no immigrant has to appear before an immigration court without a representative.

WHAT WE DO: Immigrants in the United States are not entitled to an attorney in their removal proceedings. Instead, if they cannot afford an attorney, they are forced to present their legal cases before an immigration judge on their own. This typically takes place in a foreign language, and against a trained attorney representing the government. In an attempt to even the playing field, ISLA attorneys visit detained immigrants at ICE detention centers on a weekly basis and provide pro bono representation under a universal representation model before the Oakdale Immigration Court. Through this service, ISLA ensures that detained immigrants' due process rights are protected and that our clients do not have to attend these hearings and present their cases on their own.