National Qualified
About
The National Qualified Representative Program began following a 2013 settlement from the class-action lawsuit, Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder. In Franco, the district court for the Central District of California concluded that the 1973 Rehabilitation Act requires the appointment of legal representation as a reasonable accommodation to people in immigration court proceedings who are detained, unrepresented, and incompetent to represent themselves because of a serious mental health condition.
40 legal service providers
Services
- Provides publicly funded attorneys in immigration court to defend non-citizens.
- Requires counsel in immigration court rooted specifically in mental health law.
- Provides for the appointment of counsel regardless of criminal history.
- Emphasizes collaborative decision-making and empathy to provide zealous and person-centered representation.
People Served
Adults in immigration court proceedings who are detained, unrepresented, and incompetent to represent themselves due to a serious mental health condition.
“I feel honored to be a qualified representative for detained people facing removal. I started working in removal defense twelve years ago with the goal of representing people I thought were most vulnerable to government overreach. Even though our city, state, and federal systems have largely failed and oppressed representatives, they are still powerful. It is their power and ability to stand firm against ICE that helps me get up each day and get to work. I am grateful for that inspiration. I am stronger for it, and I try every day to share that strength with folx facing removal. #FreeThemAll.”
Legal Service Provider, Colorado
Amica Center for Immigrant Rights
Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS)
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta (CC-ATL)
Catholic Charities Dallas (CC-Dallas)
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami (CCLS-Miami)
The Community Law Office (CLO)
Estrella del Paso (Formerly DMRS)
Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project
Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project (FIRRP)
Gavelston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project (GHIRP)
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (IMMDEF)
Immigration Services & Legal Advocacy (ISLA)
Law Office of Daniela Hernandez Chong Cuy
Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ)
National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)
Law Office of Andrew K. Nietor
Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC)
Open Immigration Legal Services
Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC)
Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES)