Volunteer Guide

The Advocates for Human Rights

  • Location:
    330 2nd Ave S.
    Suite 800
    Minneapolis, MN 55401
  • Phone:
    (612) 341-9845
  • Fax:
    (612) 341-2971
  • Contact methods:
    Email, Fax, Mail/Letter, Phone calls, Website, (612) 746-4674 National Asylum Help Line
  • Appointments accepted:
    Yes

The Advocates for Human Rights provides free legal services to low-income asylum seekers in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota; connects formerly-detained families with legal services through the National Asylum Help Line; and provides technical assistance and support to attorneys nationwide. The Advocates for Human Rights helps coordinate the Minnesota Detention Project and Juvenile Docket Screening Project to ensure access to legal services at the Fort Snelling Immigration Court. 

 

During COVID-19, our physical offices are closed, but our client intake line remains open and we continue to provide intake, opportunities for training and volunteering for pro bono attorneys, and pro bono services to trafficking victims, asylum seekers, and people in immigration detention.

State served: Minnesota
Detention Facilities Served: Carver County Jail (MN), Freeborn County Adult Detention Center (MN), Nobles County Jail (MN), Ramsey County Adult Detention Center (MN), Sherburne County Facility (MN), Grand Forks County Correctional Facility (ND), Pennington County Jail (SD)

Services Provided

Are immigration legal services provided? Yes
Areas of immigration legal assistance: Asylum applications, Habeas Corpus, Removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, T visas
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
Non-legal services: Administrative advocacy (CIS/ICE/CBP), Legal Orientation Programs (LOP) / Know Your Rights Presentations (KYR), Legislative advocacy (state or national), Referrals to other services
Populations served: Detained individuals, Domestic Violence Victims, Farm workers, 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: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Somali, Tetun
Access to a commercial interpreting service or language bank: Yes
Nominal fee charged? No
Other information: Client intake line: (612) 341-9845. The Advocates for Human Rights represents clients from Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Staffing Information

Number of attorneys on staff: 4
Is organization BIA recognized? No
Number of fully accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of partially accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of paralegals/legal workers on staff: 2

Additional Details

Pro Bono opportunities? Yes
Network affiliations: Immigration Advocates Network, Lutheran Legal Service Organization, Minnesota Detention Project

Volunteering

Volunteer Coordinator
Theresa Dykoschak