Unless otherwise noted websites below are English only. Times are Eastern U.S. Hudson Valley resources. National resources.
Albany Law School Law Immigration Law Clinic – law students, under direct supervision of faculty members, provide representation to detained and non-detained immigrants, including victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault. Call 518-445-2328, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The clinic also publishes immigration law Explainers – policy papers designed to help readers understand complex laws related to state and local governments’ immigration-related policy choices. Each Explainer reviews the law and provides links to further resources. Topics: drivers’ licenses (7 pp), municipal IDs (11 pp), public benefits (12 pp), U visas (5 pp), sanctuary jurisdictions (10 pp), and when local law enforcement officers are deputized by ICE (9 pp).
Immigration Equality helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and/or HIV-positive people — including those in detention — with legal questions. Case load varies, but they can sometimes provide legal representation. If you are detained, please call the detention hotline, 917-654-9696. For all other inquiries, please fill out this contact form. Get resources here.
Immigration Technical Assistance Center (Vera Institute of Justice) offers searchable, online resources designed to help immigration lawyers. When immigrants have legal advisors they are more likely to be released from detention and more likely to appear at court dates as they pursue relief. Of equal importance, they can continue to provide financial and emotional support to family members and contribute to their communities.
The Legal Project (website in multiple languages including Spanish) helps with some forms at no cost. Immigration consults and representation — in Greene and Columbia counties and the Capital District — are provided on a sliding scale for cases involving humanitarian visas, green card renewal, naturalization, and asylum. Staff members speak Spanish and other languages and always aim to secure interpreters. Call 518-435-1770 for an appointment.
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest may be able to help immigrants who are uninsured with serious health conditions, in immigration detention, or denied language access at hospitals or government offices. Get details here or call 212-244-4664, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Prisoners Legal Services of New York represents incarcerated individuals in state prisons and the following county jails: Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, Washington, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence County. They cover a range of issues including immigration, excessive use of force, medical care, administrative segregation, disability rights, sexual abuse, sentencing, and wrongful confinement.
A Newburgh office (10 Little Britain Rd., #204) serves people imprisoned at Bedford Hills, Downstate, Fishkill, Green Haven, Sing Sing, and Taconic; 845-391-3110, cculbreth@plsny.org. Detainees may write Prisoners’ Legal Services of NY, Immigration Unit, 41 State St., Suite M112, Albany, NY 12207. Family members can call 518-438-8046 or 518-445-6050, or email Mahrukh Badar, mbadar@plsny.org or info@plsny.com. Immigration issues are handled by Jim Millstein, 518-694-8699, ext. 2021, or jmillstein@plsny.org.
