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Legal Services

Founded in 1996, our legal services division works to protect, maintain, and unify individuals and families in need.

Working to Keep Families Together

“It is necessary to respond to the globalization of migration with the globalization of charity and cooperation, in such a way to make the conditions for migrants more humane.”

– Pope Francis

Who We Are

Legal Services is a nonprofit law program providing low-cost consultations and legal representation to immigrants and refugees throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. We also educate the public, immigrant communities, and the organizations who serve them to promote justice for all newcomers and support conditions for their full participation in American society.

Formally known as Immigration Legal Services (ILS), Legal Services is currently focusing on family reunification and assistance to the most vulnerable immigrants and refugees, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

Our Services

  • Family-based applications/visas
  • Permanent residency (Green Card)
  • Naturalization and citizenship
  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
  • Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child sexual abuse (VAWA)
  • Visa for crime victims (U Visa)
  • Survivors of human trafficking (T Visa)
  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
  • Asylum
  • Removal Defense
  • Refugee Adjustment of Status/Family Petition
  • Other types of assistance on a case-by-case basis
Three men and four children smiling

Who We Serve

We serve clients of diverse backgrounds with varied needs. Examples include…

  • A mother who has been feeding her children from 3,000 miles away but hasn’t been able to hug them in 10 years
  • A victim of violent crime
  • A refugee reuniting with loved ones left behind
  • A survivor of years of abuse
  • A student who has lived in Oregon since he was 6 months old, only speaks English, and found out he was undocumented after applying for college
  • A young girl escaping trafficking
  • A U.S. citizen who wants to bring his wife or child to the United States
  • An immigrant facing removal issues by ICE without a criminal offense
Two men smiling

Seeking Assistance?

If you or someone you know would like assistance from Legal Services, please call (503) 542-2855. Messages will be returned.

Enrolled clients should contact their representative to make an appointment. Walk-in appointments will not be accepted.

Articles
Case Management and Advocacy Pave the Road to Self-Sufficiency
Migration Services

Case Management and Advocacy Pave the Road to Self-Sufficiency

Posted By | Fowzia Abdulle, Connor Skaggs
What does it take to help someone move past the trauma and culture shock experienced by so many new arrivals? Agencies like Catholic Charities help refugees rebuild their lives and become participating members in our community through a myriad of services, ranging from case management to advocacy. Case Manager Supervisor Fowzia Abdulle has dedicated her…
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Case management and advocacy pave the road to self-sufficiency
Keep Oregon Open: The Welcoming Refugees Bill Passes, Sets National Example
Migration Services

Keep Oregon Open: The Welcoming Refugees Bill Passes, Sets National Example

Posted By | Connor Skaggs
After a nearly 8 months of uncertainty, Oregon House Bill 2508, AKA the Welcoming Refugees Bill, passed in late June, at the eleventh hour of the legislative session. The bill paves the way for the state’s three resettlement agencies, Catholic Charities among them, to continue serving refugees as they rebuild safe, sustainable lives for themselves…
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Public Charge: What You Need to Know/Carga Pública: Lo Que Debe Saber
Migration Services

Public Charge: What You Need to Know/Carga Pública: Lo Que Debe Saber

Posted By | Staff
On October 3, Catholic Charities hosted a Facebook Live event in an attempt to clarify some of the misinformation going around about the recent public charge rule change. Kat Kelley (Director, Strategic Initiatives), John Herrera (Director, Immigration Legal Services), and Sarah Purce (Assistant Director, Immigration Legal Services) presented important information in English and Spanish: What…
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A book of immigration law under a gavel
Catholic Charities featured in "Amid immigration crackdown, undocumented domestic abuse victims fear reporting abuse, seeking assistance"