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Orpe Human Rights Advocates has the vocation of defending human dignity. The organization has a mission of defending the interests of those who cannot assert their own fundamental rights. One of the means of accomplishing this mission in the area of immigration is to detained people increase access to counsel.  There are thousands of immigrants held in detention centers who need pro bono representation.

 

Identifying Opportunities to Help

Together with organization partners and pro bono will be working on a platform for accessing immigration detention centers across the country. Organization partners have the expertise in screenings and identifying individuals who are eligible for immigration relief, such as asylum, and who need pro bono assistance. We then work with our partners to communicate the volunteer opportunities to our committed volunteers.

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Supporting Volunteers Who Take Cases

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Training

Orpe Human Rights Advocates supports its volunteers by providing access to an online library of training materials and toolkits that are tailored specifically to lawyers who are new to immigration court and immigration detention.

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Working with AILA, leading non-profit organizations, and individual practitioners nationwide, Orpe Human Rights Advocates has gathered highly-curated, top-of-the-line materials designed to provide step-by-step guidance to volunteers, including:

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• Introductory level webinars and presentations; 

• Detailed recommended timelines; 

• Access to leading treatises and research tools; 

• Sample case files and templates 

• Advanced articles and practice pointers; and

• In-person and online training. 

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Learn more about our training resources »

For access to our full range of educational resources, register to join the Advocacy for Justice Program  and sign up to help someone in urgent need of legal help.

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Mentorship and Technical Assistance Program

Orpe Human Rights Advocates will be promoting a mentorship program, harnessing the expertise of the immigration attorneys on our team to assist pro bono attorneys who are new in the field of removal defense. Volunteers have opportunities to communicate with and learn from other attorneys handling similar cases through a mentorship program.

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In addition, volunteers have access to a dedicated mentor who will provide expert guidance, prepare the volunteer for any upcoming hearings, and review draft filings.

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Advocacy

 Orpe Human Rights Advocates will be advocating for changes in law and policy. The advocacy mission is accomplished through documenting systemic challenges that detained immigrants encounter as they fight to seek protection. We will be working with our partner volunteers to help in identifying due process issues experienced by clients while in detention centers. It was established that many detainees face issues such as prolonged detention, inadequate access to language interpretation services, and changes in court practices, among others. Those kinds of inhuman treatments could only be reverted through advocacy.

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Our advocacy mission is to make awareness of the due process violations facing detainees for the purpose of helping create a better, more humane system for the most vulnerable people in our immigration system.

 

Are you interested in volunteering, we invite you to complete the following Advocacy Volunteer Form

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We also recognize the vital work of pro bono volunteers and underscore the dire need for legal representation in detention centers. 

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Need Help?

Any questions about volunteering, please do not hesitate to contact us at volunteer@orpe.org.

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