History & Mission
Our Mission
To establish and defend the legal rights of immigrants regardless of background and transform the immigration system to one that affords equal opportunity for all.
Our History
In 1984, a small group of attorneys founded the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center to provide legal representation to people from Haiti and Central America fleeing violence and persecution. Our goals were to defend the human rights of people who came to the United States in search of protection and to uphold the rule of law, irrespective of politics.
In its first year, the center served 82 people through a mostly volunteer network of 60 attorneys.
In the following decades, we grew into the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), a nationally recognized organization with a staff of more than 160 professionals and a network of 2,000-plus pro bono attorneys who provide legal services to more than 11,000 people every year.
For most of our history, NIJC operated as a program housed under a parent nonprofit organization. We became an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 2024.
While the political and legal landscape immigrants face in the United States is constantly changing, NIJC’s mission and values have not. We continue to defend the rights and dignity of immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees and fight for justice in a deeply flawed system. We represent thousands of people each year in applications for legal status, defending individuals’ rights under the law to live in safety with their loved ones in the United States and to be free from violence and persecution.
Our Model
NIJC combines four strategies to defend access to justice for immigrants and their loved ones, while working to transform the immigration system into one that upholds human rights.
Direct Legal Services
Legal information, comprehensive legal screenings, legal representation, and application filing for low-income immigrants
Impact Litigation
Litigation in the federal courts to challenge policies and practices that violate human rights
Policy Advocacy
Advocacy at national, state, and local levels and in partnership with coalitions for immigration policies that advance human rights
Strategic Communications
Public education through research, reports, presentations, and media
Legal Service Practice Areas
NIJC has the depth and breadth of expertise to provide high-quality legal services in a comprehensive range of matters, including:
- Asylum
- Removal defense
- Adjustment of status for asylees and refugees to obtain lawful permanent residence
- Naturalization
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
- Legal status for survivors of crime, trafficking, and domestic violence (U visa, T visa, VAWA)
- Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned
- Family petitions
- Bond hearings for detained immigrants
Support NIJC
Make a difference. Support NIJC and our programs today!