|
Immigrant Legal Services
of the Central Coast |
page last updated 5-9-2022
https://www.ilscc.org/
(In 2017 IF started cooperating with Immigrant Legal Services of the Central Coast.)
Immigrant Legal Services of the Central Coast (ILSCC) was formed in January 2017 to meet the severe need for affordable legal representation, advice, education, and direct, full-scope immigration legal services in Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties. We help families and communities achieve stability security, access other benefits, and participate more fully in our communities through direct advocacy.
ILSCC’s mission: is to create stability for immigrant families on the Central Coast by offering high-quality, affordable immigration legal services to Central Coast residents and providing accessible, accurate, and reliable information about the immigration law system.
No other immigration non-profits in our service area have the capacity or expertise to handle complex affirmative cases or provide direct representation before the immigration agencies. Further, no other non-profit attorneys and very few private attorneys in the area provide representation for individuals facing deportation in immigration court.
In addition, ILSCC has become the informal immigration law backup center for the Central Coast and provides consultation to other local agencies and community organizations, including the Watsonville Law Center, Monterey YWCA, Catholic Charities, the Mexican Consulate, and the Santa Cruz Welcoming Network.
ILSCC strives to provide clear, accurate, and reliable information to our clients to understand their legal situation and make informed decisions to protect and improve their legal status in our community. Consequently, we help clients avoid falling prey to scams and paying to file applications for which they are not eligible. Through effective representation, we help individuals and their families feel more rooted in their communities with greater upward social mobility and financial stability opportunities. Many of our clients start their own businesses, buy homes, or move to safer neighborhoods.
ILSCC’s mission: is to create stability for immigrant families on the Central Coast by offering high-quality, affordable immigration legal services to Central Coast residents and providing accessible, accurate, and reliable information about the immigration law system.
No other immigration non-profits in our service area have the capacity or expertise to handle complex affirmative cases or provide direct representation before the immigration agencies. Further, no other non-profit attorneys and very few private attorneys in the area provide representation for individuals facing deportation in immigration court.
In addition, ILSCC has become the informal immigration law backup center for the Central Coast and provides consultation to other local agencies and community organizations, including the Watsonville Law Center, Monterey YWCA, Catholic Charities, the Mexican Consulate, and the Santa Cruz Welcoming Network.
ILSCC strives to provide clear, accurate, and reliable information to our clients to understand their legal situation and make informed decisions to protect and improve their legal status in our community. Consequently, we help clients avoid falling prey to scams and paying to file applications for which they are not eligible. Through effective representation, we help individuals and their families feel more rooted in their communities with greater upward social mobility and financial stability opportunities. Many of our clients start their own businesses, buy homes, or move to safer neighborhoods.
2022 UPDATE
Immigrant Legal Services of the Central Coast (ILSCC) was able to increase its services significantly during the 2021 calendar year. IF’s support helped the organization obtain increased funding from the State of California’s Department of Social Services, which in turn enabled it to serve many more indigent clients at no cost to the clients. ILSCC has been careful to assure its expansion was accomplished by staying true to the ILSCC vision of “offering quality and affordable legal representation, advice and education to an underserved population. ILSCC continues to be the only non-profit immigrant legal services program that provides high-quality, comprehensive services that include representation of its clients in Immigration Court and beyond for more difficult and complex cases. ILSC now has four full-time staff persons, two of whom are certified by the Department of Justice to represent clients in Immigration Court. All staff members are bi-lingual English and Spanish, and one is trilingual in the Mixtec indigenous language spoken by an increasing number of people in our three county service area.
In 2021 ILSCC helped over 100 new clients and over 50 established clients with a range of services that included full legal consultations, DACA renewals, removal defense, petitions for change of status, and other matters. An example of the complexity of some of their cases is that of Luci X (not her real name).
Luci’s case required the work of two lawyers, two investigators, Ariadna, the ILSCC Directing Attorney / Executive Director, and other staff members. Luci was born in Central Mexico and married a young Mexican man there whose father was a United States Citizen. Luci had three children in this relationship, but her husband became increasingly abusive after traveling between their home in Mexico and California for work. In California he had become addicted to drugs. The abuse became so extreme that Luci fled to the U. S. with her three children, eventually landing in Watsonville. ILSCC represented her for both a Domestic Violence immigration claim and as a parent of U.S. citizen children.
Luci’s case required the work of two lawyers, two investigators, Ariadna, the ILSCC Directing Attorney / Executive Director, and other staff members. Luci was born in Central Mexico and married a young Mexican man there whose father was a United States Citizen. Luci had three children in this relationship, but her husband became increasingly abusive after traveling between their home in Mexico and California for work. In California he had become addicted to drugs. The abuse became so extreme that Luci fled to the U. S. with her three children, eventually landing in Watsonville. ILSCC represented her for both a Domestic Violence immigration claim and as a parent of U.S. citizen children.
A lawyer in Mexico was retained to obtain documentary proof that the three children were born to a U.S. citizen father, and therefore were U.S. citizens by birth. A volunteer lawyer was recruited to obtain a divorce for Luci in order to pursue the Domestic Violence claim in Immigration Court. Two investigators were needed to obtain proof of the ongoing domestic violence. After several court appearances Ariadna was able to obtain permanent legal residence and the right to employment for Luci. Ariadna also successfully petitioned for U.S. Citizenship for Luci’s three children who are now fluent in English. The day the children received their citizenship papers, the oldest, Leandro, said to his mother: “Mom, you don’t have to worry about us anymore”. This outcome required the efforts and collaboration of many professionals for nearly three years.
(Taken from a story submitted by Ron D’Aloisio, Member, Board of Directors of ILSCC)
(Taken from a story submitted by Ron D’Aloisio, Member, Board of Directors of ILSCC)