This project is complete!

This project has been completed thanks to the efforts of our volunteers.

Visit the Project Directory to check out other projects that still need your help!

completed
The Immigration Justice Campaign

The Dilley Pro Bono Project

Volunteer For a Week at an Immigration Detention Center

Posted June 26, 2019

The Dilley Pro Bono Project (DPBP), a local partner in the Immigration Justice Campaign, operates a non-traditional pro bono model of legal services that advocates for immigrant mothers and children detained at the 2,400-bed South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.

The Justice Campaign organizes groups of volunteers to travel to Dilley every week to assist the pro bono legal team at the detention center. You will help with Know Your Rights presentations, drafting legal filings, helping women prepare for Credible Fear Interviews, and in some cases, accompanying women to these interviews. We also request volunteers help with administrative needs such as scanning, copying, and filing documents

The vast majority of families detained here are fleeing extreme violence in Central America and elsewhere. They are seeking asylum in the United States. Most are Spanish speakers so we can only provide a very limited amount of spots for volunteers who do not speak Spanish. Non-Spanish speakers must bring their own interpreters or have remote interpretation available to them.

Our application is open during certain periods in order to allow us time to properly schedule and coordinate volunteers year-round. We have a real need specifically for volunteers the week of Labor Day (09/01-09/06) and the week of 09/29/2019.

We currently have a need for more Spanish speakers.

This project is complete!

This project has been completed thanks to the efforts of our volunteers.

Visit the Project Directory to check out other projects that still need your help!

Additional Information

  • Time Commitment: 21+ hours
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Additional Training Details: In-Person legal and advocacy orientation provided the first night of your volunteer week. Additional material on our website.
  • Site-Preference: On-Site
  • Open to Law Students: No
  • Bar License(s) required: Any Bar License
  • Required Languages: None
  • Preferred Languages: Spanish
  • Required Legal Expertise: None
  • Mentoring Provided: Yes
  • Supervision Provided: Yes

Locations

  • 300 El Rancho Way
  • Dilley, TX 78017
The Immigration Justice Campaign

The Immigration Justice Campaign is a joint initiative between the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (AIC) to mobilize and train volunteer lawyers inside and outside the immigration bar to provide deportation defense to immigrants.

Others have also checked out