IMMIGRATION INSTITUTE OF THE BAY AREA

IMMIGRATION INSTITUTE OF THE BAY AREA (IIBA) CONTINUED TO BUILD OUR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES WITH A FOCUS ON EXPANDING OUR SERVICES IN MORE RURAL AREAS WHERE ACCESS TO IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES IS LIMITED OR NON-EXISTENT. IIBA IS THE LARGEST NONPROFIT PROVIDER OF IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH 7 OFFICES IN 6 COUNTIES AND A STAFF OF 72.THIS PAST YEAR, IIBA FILED 3469 AFFIRMATIVE CASES, PROVIDED 5000 LEGAL CONSULTATIONS, AND OUTREACHED TO NEARLY 11,912 INDIVIDUALS. WE HELPED 636 INDIVIDUALS PETITION FOR U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND 747 INDIVIDUALS RENEW THEIR DACA APPLICATIONS. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CLIENTS IN REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS AND HELPED 202 SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND VIOLENT CRIME FILE FOR LEGAL PROTECTION. WE HAVE A 98% CLIENT SATISFACTION RATING FROM OUR CLIENTS AND A 98% APPROVAL RATE FOR APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS). 78% OF OUR STAFF ARE BILINGUAL IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND 9 STAFF OFFER ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE DIVERSITY INCLUDING MANDARIN, CANTONESE, VIETNAMESE, BURMESE, PASHTO, URDU, HINDI, PUNJABI, GERMAN, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE, AND ITALIAN. WE INCREASED OUR PRO BONO PARTNERSHIPS BY HOLDING 25 VIRTUAL PRO BONO CLINICS IN WHICH WE SERVED 702 CLIENTS. 577 PRO BONO LAWYERS PARTICIPATED IN THE CLINICS.IIBA SERVES AS A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (CDSS). OUR ROLE IS TO ADMINISTER FUNDING FOR CLIENT FILING FEES FOR 12 OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN ADDITION TO IIBA'S CLIENTS. IIBA WROTE CHECKS ON BEHALF OF 987 DACA APPLICANTS FOR A TOTAL SAVINGS TO CLIENTS OF $488,565. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR SUPPORTIIBA WAS FORTUNATE TO HOST AN EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS (EJW) FELLOW WHO JOINED IIBA IN 2024. JOCELYN VOLUNTEERED WITH IIBA AS A LEGAL INTERN IN THE SUMMER OF 2022 AND RETURNED TO IIBA AS AN EJW FELLOW TO HELP IIBA BUILD A PROGRAM TO BETTER SUPPORT VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROJECT, IIBA HAS SUPPORTED APPROXIMATELY THIRTY HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, IIBA HAS STRENGTHENED OR CREATED NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH THREE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO CONSISTENTLY REFER CLIENTS TO IIBA. VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IMPACT (TRACKED HOURS)IIBA CREATED A NEW POSITION, VOLUNTEER MANAGER WITH AN INITIAL FOCUS OF RECRUITING VOLUNTEER INTERPRETERS TO BUILD IIBA'S CAPACITY TO SERVE A BROADER COHORT OF CLIENTS SINCE IIBA'S STAFF PRIMARILY ARE BILINGUAL IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. TO DATE, WE HAVE EXPANDED IIBA'S LANGUAGE CAPACITY TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL34 LANGUAGES AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED 1500 HOURS, AN APPROXIMATE $52,500 IN IN-KIND SERVICES.2024 LEGAL SERVICES HIGHLIGHTSIIBA REACHED OVER 10,000 IMMIGRANTS IN 2024 THROUGH DIRECT SERVICES. KEY FIGURES INCLUDE: IBBA PROVIDED IMMIGRATION LEGAL CONSULTATIONS ON FIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND FILED 442 CASES ON BEHALF OF STUDENTS. IIBA HELD 24 PRO BONO CLINICS AND ASSISTED OVER 400 CLIENTS EITHER WITH THEIR CITIZENSHIP OR DACA RENEWALS DURING THESE CLINICS. THE APPROVAL RATE FOR NATURALIZATION AND DACA RENEWALS SUBMITTED TO USCIS WAS 99%. PRO BONO ATTORNEYS WHO SUPPORTED THIS EFFORT NUMBERED 430.