LibGuides: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice, and Accessibility: Immigration

Resources for Individuals

New York State Community Toolkit: A Resource Guide for Immigrant New Yorkers
The NYS Community Toolkit is an all-in-one resource guide for community members, partners, and allies. It is updated regularly based on changing laws and policies, and connects immigrant New Yorkers with resources across the state.
Know Your Rights: Immigrants and New York
NYIC partnered with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) and designer Luiza Dale to create Immigrants & NY, a fold-out poster in English, Spanish, and French. The illustrated poster guides immigrants in New York State on how to avoid immigration scams, protect their families when interacting with ICE, and create a plan for their family in the event of deportation.
Know Your Rights: Immigrants and Upstate New York
Our partnership continued with Immigrants & Upstate NY, a companion piece that focuses on the upstate regional context. The tri-fold poster educates immigrants on how to interact with Border Patrol and local law enforcement, and ways to reduce the risk from traffic stops.
ACLU Know Your Rights: 100 Mile Border Zone
The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects people from random and arbitrary stops and searches. Although the federal government claims the power to conduct certain kinds of warrantless stops within 100 miles of the U.S. border, important Fourth Amendment protections still apply. This helps you understand your rights within the 100-mile border zone.
NYS Office for New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636
Call the NYS Office for New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636 for questions and suggestions about where to get immigration legal advice.
The hotline is free and all call information is confidential. Help is available in 200+ languages.
Information to Help New York’s Libraries Safeguard the Rights of Immigrants - NY State Library
The New York State Education Department and the New York State Library are committed to safeguarding the rights of individuals including both citizens and noncitizens. This information highlights and clarifies relevant resources for public and association libraries to support efforts to safeguard immigrants and noncitizens, considering recent threats of increased federal immigration actions in our communities. While the information does not address local policies that may afford additional protections, libraries should be aware of all policies, regulations, and laws governing their operations. To the extent that questions arise regarding compliance, we encourage libraries to contact their regional public library system or the New York State Library.

Organizations

New York Immigration Coalition
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy & advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York.
Catholic Charities Tompkins/Tioga
The Immigrant Services Program (ISP) targets our services to assist immigrants and refugees who are living in low income households, have language and/or cultural barriers, and need assistance in accessing community resources. However, we do assist others as staff time is available. Direct services, case management, and referrals are provided to clients to help them gain self-sufficiency.
Cornell Law School Clinical Programs
Cornell Law School's Asylum and Convention Against Torture Appellate Clinic handles appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals on behalf of immigrants seeking asylum and similar relief. The law school's Farmworker Legal Assistance Clinic handles immigration and employment matters on behalf of farmworkers, primarily in upstate New York. There is no charge for obtaining legal advice or assistance from these programs, but space is limited and some of the clinics only operate one semester per year.
Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project
Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) provides free civil legal services to low income individuals and small not-for-profits in the greater Western New York region.
Journey's End Refugee Services
The Immigration Legal Services Program at Journey’s End Refugee Services offers immigration legal representation to low-income refugees, asylees, and other immigrants. Our team of licensed attorneys and DOJ (Department of Justice) Accredited Representatives assist with immigration matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), including but not limited to naturalization, permanent residency (green cards), family reunification, travel documents, work authorization, asylum and withholding of removal, Temporary Protected Status, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and removal defense.
Just Cause
The JustCause mission is to improve the quality of life of low-income people in Monroe County by ensuring the existence of a readily available panel of skilled volunteer attorneys to resolve serious civil legal problems.
Justice for Migrant Families WNY
JFMF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that promotes justice for migrant families by providing support to individuals in the federal detention facility in Batavia, information and resources to families in the community, and advocacy both within and beyond the local community.
Legal Aide Bureau of Buffalo
Western New York has received thousands of immigrants and refugees for settlement in the past decade. We are the lead agency of the Coordinated Refugee/Asylee Legal Services Project, the aim of which is to assist immigrants and refugees with such legal concerns as housing, matrimonial matters, domestic violence, and child custody. We also provide assistance to limited English proficient populations with education-related issues within the City of Buffalo School system.
Legal Aid Society of Rochester, NY
Our Immigration Unit provides legal representation, advice and information to non-citizen community members and their families. We seek to vigorously defend the individual rights of our clients and ensure that they are treated with dignity, equality and respect. In addition, we represent those fleeing persecution in their home country and seeking protection in the United States.
New Hope Immigration Legal Services
We are happy to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice has approved New Hope FMC as a site for a low-cost immigration clinic. Likewise, Rev. Patricia Welch has been designated as an accredited immigration legal representative for New Hope Immigration Legal Services.
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (Albany Office)
Our legal department offers a variety of programming that provides low- to no-cost professional legal representation to low-income refugees and immigrants and their families with family- and humanitarian-based immigration matters before USCIS, Immigration Courts, and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Worker Justice Center of New York
WJCNY provides free legal assistance to individuals and groups in matters affecting the rights of agricultural and other low-wage workers. Our staff of experienced attorneys, paralegals, case managers and advocates work together to address the critical legal needs of our clients and their communities through three interrelated methods: affirmative litigation, direct immigration legal assistance, and survivor support services.

For Library Staff

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Mango Languages

Mango Languages empowers you to communicate with confidence, preparing you for uncharted experiences with language and culture. More than 70 languages are available to learn, including English and American Sign Language.