National Immigration Legal Services Directory

Legal Aid Society (New York City Office)

  • Location:
    199 Water St
    New York, NY 10038
  • Phone:
    (844) 955-3425
  • Toll-free:
    (844) 955-3425
  • Fax:
    (212) 509-8914
  • Contact methods:
    Mail/Letter, Phone calls
  • Appointments accepted:
    Yes

The Legal Aid Society is the nation's oldest and largest not-for-profit public interest law firm for low-income families and individuals. For several decades the Society has maintained a robust city-wide immigration law unit within the Civil Practice. The Immigration Law Unit specializes in representing non-citizens with criminal convictions in removal proceedings at the New York immigration courts. The Society is part of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, (NYIFUP) the first project that guarantees representation to low income New York detainees with cases venued at the Varick Street, Elizabeth, and Newark immigration courts. The Unit also provides direct legal representation to unaccompanied minor children appearing on the Juvenile docket at the New York Immigration Court and helps to coordinate social, medical and mental health services for such children. Additionally, the Immigration Law Unit's experienced staff also provide a wide range of affirmative immigration legal services, including but not limited to naturalization, adjustment of status, asylum, VAWA, U, T, SIJS, TPS, DACA, and more. The Unit's Federal practice files habeas petitions in federal district court, petitions for review in the Circuit Courts of Appeal, and affirmative litigation. Staff also advise criminal defense attorneys on the immigration consequences of arrests and criminal convictions.

Counties served: Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), NY (Manhattan), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island)
Detention Facilities Served: Bergen County Jail (NJ), Essex County Correctional Facility (NJ), Hudson County Correctional Facility (NJ), Orange County Correctional Facility (NY), Rikers Island Prison Complex (NY)

Services Provided

Areas of immigration legal assistance: Adjustment of Status, Asylum applications, Consular Processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Employment authorization, Family-based petitions, Habeas Corpus, NACARA, Naturalization/Citizenship, Removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, T visas, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions
Types of immigration legal services provided: Help completing forms, Filings with USCIS, Representation at Asylum Interviews (Credible Fear Interviews, Reasonable Fear Interviews), Representation before the Immigration Court, Representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Federal court appeals
Other areas of legal assistance: Civil Rights, Community Development, Consumer, Criminal Appeals, Disability, Disaster and Crisis Assistance, Education, Elder Law, Employment, Family & Juvenile, Foreclosure, Health, HIV/AIDS, Homeless, Housing, Prisoners, Public Benefits, Taxes
Non-legal services: Administrative advocacy (CIS/ICE/CBP), Health services, Legal Orientation Programs (LOP) / Know Your Rights Presentations (KYR), Legislative advocacy (state or national), Psychological or psychiatric services, Referrals to other services
Populations served: Detained individuals, Domestic Violence Victims, Human Trafficking Survivors, Individuals who are not in legal immigration status, Individuals with criminal histories, Individuals with physical/mental disabilities, Juveniles, Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, Torture survivors
Languages spoken: Bengali, Cantonese Chinese, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Spanish, All languages, through Language Line
Access to a commercial interpreting service or language bank: Yes
Nominal fee charged? No
Other information: This organization can accept clients from all New York City boroughs.