CUNY Citizenship Now! provides free, high quality, and confidential immigration law services to help individuals and families on their path to U.S. citizenship. They have attorneys and paralegals offer one-on-one consultations to assess participants’ eligibility for legal benefits and assist them in applying when qualified.
If you or someone you know has been detained, CUNY Citizenship Now! can provide information on an attorney to assist. Click here for more information. If you are a student, faculty, or staff member abroad, you can write directly to citizenshipnowinfo@cuny.edu if you need assistance.
If you must travel abroad, please read this resource for students during any border questioning.
"¡Ciudadanía Ya! de la Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York es el programa de asistencia legal más grande de una universidad en el país. Proveemos servicios legales de inmigración y ciudadanía gratuitos, confidenciales y de alta calidad a todos los servicios en más de 30 oficinas de concejales de la ciudad de Nueva York, gracias a fondos otorgados por el Concejo[...] En el 2015, tuvimos más de 300 voluntarios que ayudaron a 7,395 personas en más de 45 idiomas."
Para más detalles en español, oprima aquí.
Citizenship Now! has partnered with Hostos as well as several NYC city council members to provide spaces for legal assistance:
Hostos Community College Immigration Center
Offers these services
Mondays to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
427 Walton Ave., T-501
(718) 518-4395
Languages spoken: English and Spanish
City Council representatives
Citizenship Now! says: "Our services at our City Council Member Offices are limited to application assistance with Citizenship, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). However, we offer consultations on other immigration topics."
Please note that the South Bronx has several districts. Hostos is in District 17 but much of the neighborhood just next to Hostos is in District 8. You can enter your address in this map to find which district you live in.
Councilman Rafael Salamanca, Jr. - District 17
Free legal consultations for immigrants for residents of District 17
Every Tuesday and every other Monday 11:00-4:00 (last appointment is at 3:00) on Tuesdays and every other Monday.
Call (718) 402-6130 to make an appointment. There may be a bit of a wait of several weeks or months before the next available appointment.
1070 Southern Blvd. (between Westchester Ave. and E. 167th St.)
Languages spoken: English, Spanish and French.
Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito - District 8
Her office has a lawyer with Bronx Legal Services the third Thursday of each month from 3:00-6:00 pm.
Call (347) 297-4922 to make an appointment. There may be a bit of a wait of several weeks or months before the next available appointment.
214 St. Ann's Ave. (between E. 137th and 138th streets)
Immigrant Justice Project (212) 382-6710
"The City Bar Justice Center’s Immigrant Justice Project (IJP) helps immigrants who are at their most vulnerable: asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home countries, survivors of violent crimes and trafficking here in the United States, and individuals seeking humanitarian protection and other forms of relief.
We match immigrants with pro bono attorneys and provide mentoring, training and guidance throughout the representation. IJP’s experienced immigration attorneys also provide direct services and representation in Immigration Court.
Our free legal services include:
Legal protections for victims of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault;
Visas for immigrant victims of human trafficking;
Asylum representation;
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA);
Temporary Protected Status applications; and
Other forms of immigration relief."
St. Jerome H.A.N.D.S. Community Center (Part Time)
Help with DACA, naturalization, citizenship, and immigration documents.
330 E. 138 St.
Bronx, NY 10454
Get Directions
(212) 652-2055
Languages spoken: English and Spanish
Mondays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
+ Last Monday of each month, 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Jaime Lucero Mexican Studies Institute at CUNY (Part Time) (New Location)
Lehman College
250 Bedford Park Blvd. West
Old Gym, Room 302
Bronx, NY 10468
Get Directions
(212) 652-2055
Languages spoken: English and Spanish
Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
South Bronx United no fees
"Areas of immigration legal service: Citizenship, Consular Processing, Family petitions, Employmentbased, FOIAs, DACA, Adjustment of Status, DACA. Limitations on services: If we can't handle the issue - we'll make referrals."
Languages spoken: English/Spanish
Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00
595 Grand Concourse, Suite 2 (between 150th and 151st)
info@southbronxunited.org
Bronx Defenders- New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP)
"NYIFUP provides free, high-quality legal representation to indigent immigrants facing deportation in the City of New York, as well as to detained New Yorkers facing deportation in the nearby immigration courts in New Jersey."
360 East 161st Street
(718) 838-7878
Emerald Isle Immigration Center no fees
4275 Katonah Ave.
Woodlawn, NY 10470
(718) 324-3039
Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice no fees
1384 Stratford Avenue
Bronx, NY 10472
(718) 328-5622
* African Hope Committee, Inc.
* Catholic Charities Community Services, Immigration Legal Services no fees
* City College Immigration Center no fees
* City Bar Justice Center no fees
Queens
* CUNY CLEAR – Creating law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility no fees
CUNY School of Law
2 Court Square
Long Island City, NY 11101-4356
cunyclear@law.cuny.edu
(718) 340-4558 phone
Citizenship Advice for College Students
“There are an estimated 65,000 undocumented students — children born abroad who are not U.S. citizens or legal residents — who graduate from U.S. high schools each year. These children are guaranteed an education in U.S. public schools through grade 12, but may face legal and financial barriers to higher education. What can you tell undocumented students about their options for college?”
New York ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union “When the government has the power to deny legal rights and due process to one vulnerable group, everyone’s rights are at risk. The ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project is dedicated to expanding and enforcing the civil liberties and civil rights of immigrants and to combating public and private discrimination against them.”
Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented Youth “In an effort to ensure that all students have access to a world-class education that prepares them for college and careers, the U.S. Department of Education released a resource guide today to help educators, school leaders and community organizations better support undocumented youth, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.”
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) “This page provides information on requesting consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA). You may request DACA for the first time or renew your existing period of DACA if it is expiring.”
My Undocumented Life: Up-to-date Information & Resources for Undocumented Immigrants “Our mission at My Undocumented Life blog is to provide up-to-date information and resources to undocumented immigrants. We post scholarship opportunities that are open to undocumented students, strategies for navigating the educational system, information on how to apply for DACA/Advanced Parole, news on DAPA, and much more.”
The New York Immigration Coalition
"The New York Immigration Coalition aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all. The NYIC promotes immigrants’ full civic participation, fosters their leadership, and provides a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities."
Atlas DIY
A center for young people from 14-24 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. They offer free immigration-related legal services for young people who become members, and also have an online community.
The Brooklyn Public Library offers a range of free services and referrals for immigrants, including
Servicios Inmigratorios Ofrecidos de Forma Gratuita:
“ADC is a civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage. ADC was founded by former U.S. Senator James Abourezk in 1980. Today, ADC is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S.. ADC supports the human and civil rights of all people and opposes racism and bigotry in any form.”
“The Arab-American Family Support Center empowers new immigrants with the tools they need to successfully acclimate to the world around them and become active participants in their communities.”
2417 3rd Ave, Suite 205
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
(718) 665-2486
"Weekly walk-in clinic every Thursday from 9:30 A.M. -1 P.M., or make appointment by phone. Languages: French, Bambara, Mandingo, Soninke, Doula, and other African languages."
Immigration services: "African Hope Committee dedicates much of their time and effort to consulting clients on challenges affiliated with achieving status in the United States.
African Hope Committee will consult with you and advise on the appropriate course of action to achieve your desired status in the United States. African Hope Committee will draw up and file your documents. We also offer representation and translation at the Immigration Office, if desired. AHC is thrilled to accomodate francophone clients.
If you have questions or are interested in scheduling a one-on-one consultation with a BIA Accredited Representative please call us at 212.862.9010."
Immigration services: Catholic Charities provides legal consultations, representation and assistance to documented and undocumented newcomers of all nationalities, ethnicities and religions. All matters are treated professionally and confidentially.
Our central office is located at 80 Maiden Lane in Manhattan. Consultations provided on Thursdays (except holidays), 8:30am-11:00am
We also provide services at locations that span from Staten Island up to the Bronx, Westchester, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange and Rockland counties.
Clients are charged nominal fees. Generally, our consultation fee is $50 ($85.00 for consultations with an attorney.) Fees for other services vary. Fees may be reduced or waived according to need. Download the Legal Services flyer for more information.
Departamento de Servicios de Inmigración ofrece consultas y representación legal a nuevos clientes documentados e indocumentados en sus casos de inmigración[...] Todos los casos son considerados profesionalmente y tratados confidencialmente.
Por favor tenga en cuenta que esta oficina no acepta los siguientes tipos de casos:
Asilo Politico (para personas que no tienen casos de Corte de Inmigración)
Peticiones de Empleo
Salida Voluntaria
Casos de Corte de Inmigración con condena criminal.
Por favor llame a la Linea Informativa para Nuevos Americanos al 800-566-7636 para obtener información de agencias que le
puedan ayudar en estos casos.
Diarios de consultas son: Jueves (excepto días feriados) 8:30am-11:00am
Costo de la Consulta: $50 ($85 per consultas con un abogado dependiendo de la disponibilidad) No dinero aceptado Para quienes califiquen, una reduccion total o parcial en las tarifas
The group Educators for Fair Consideration has put together a list of scholarships that don't require proof of citizenship to apply. Although some scholarships in this list are only for the west coast, others are national (press control+F and search for national to find these).
As with any resource, you should do additional research to look into each scholarship that interests you - find out as much as you can about who the group is that is offering the scholarship.
Check out the CUNY Becas program:
"The CUNY Becas program of the Jaime Lucero Mexican Studies Institute a offers scholarships to CUNY undergraduate and graduate students who meet three criteria: academic achievement, financial need, and commitment to service in the Mexican community. Currently, the scholarship can only be used for tuition and it covers up to $6330 for one year of undergraduate studies (the equivalent of full tuition at a 4 year college), or one semester for graduate studies. Past recipients may reapply for additional funding. The scholarship primarily aids students with little or no access to other funding sources. Because its emphasis is on financial need and because it does not discriminate based on immigration status, this program has been particularly successful in aiding undocumented students."
Para más detalles en español:
"El Instituto de Estudios Mexicanos Jaime Lucero en CUNY ofrece becas que oscilan entre los $4,800 y $6,330 a estudiantes de CUNY en programas con créditos (Associate y Bachelor) y posgrado (Master). El programa de becas reconoce, recompensas y promueve la excelencia académica y compromiso al servicio de la comunidad mexicana. Esta beca ayuda principalmente a estudiantes con poco o ningún acceso a otras fuentes de ayuda financiera. Debido a su énfasis es en la necesidad económica y porque no discrimina basado en el estatus migratorio, este programa ha sido particularmente exitoso en ayudar a estudiantes indocumentados. Los beneficiarios se unen a la red de Becari@s, además tienen acceso a seminarios mensuales de profesionalización y se comprometen a completar pasantías por un total de 200 horas en una institución sin fines de lucro afiliada al Instituto"