Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is California’s largest nonprofit deportation defense law firm, providing free legal aid to community members impacted by the immigration system.
Mission
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends our immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system.
Our Impact
2025 Outcomes
People served in Southern California through free legal representation, legal education, and legal consultations
8,600+
A Global, Inclusive Clientele: 120 Languages Supported
120
Families one step closer to financial stability through Employment Authorization Document filings
566
44 families granted Lawful Permanent Resident Status (Green Card) as they continue their pathway to a permanent home in the United States
44
6
Served hundreds of community members at 6 California-based ICE detention centers
23
Served hundreds of unaccompanied children in government custody at 23 youth shelters in Southern California
83 Nationalities served across all clients
83
Our Services
Children's Rights
We provide comprehensive legal representation for children facing immigration proceedings, integrating essential social services that address basic needs. Our approach empowers young clients to actively engage in their defense, ensuring both legal protection and personal well-being throughout the process.
Latest News
Stay informed with ImmDef’s daily updates on urgent action alerts, legal victories, and impactful ways to support. Follow us on social media for real-time advocacy!
Our Newsletter
![“I've never been in a situation where it was not safe for a client to seek protection in the United States," reflected ImmDef co-founder and CEO, Lindsay Toczylowski on the plight of our client Andry Hernández Romero, who became known as the gay makeup artist who suffered 4 months of abuse in El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison due to the Alien Enemies Act of 2025. "There are no immediate options available for him [and the other 252 Venezuelan men who were rendered unlawfully to CECOT] to finally have their day in court and be able to clear their names," she said in an interview with @theguardian.
Andry's fight for safety continues. He recently fled Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the U.S. military, in search of safety and asylum in Spain. “Entering the US at this time doesn’t guarantee I will keep my freedom and that is why I will continue to fight my case from Spain," he said. “I can say I feel safe here, this is a place where I can be reborn, heal my mental health, let people know about my abilities as a makeup artist and find the happiness they took away from me more than a year ago," he shared.
🚨The federal government must clear the names of the 252 men wrongfully labeled as criminal gang members of Tren de Aragua without due process. DHS must end the practice of outsourcing torture through third‑country removals, restore TPS, restore humanitarian parole, and rebuild a functioning, humane asylum system. 🚨
#FreeAndry #AndryHernándezRomero
Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/22/venezuelan-makeup-artist-cecot-spain-asylum](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/704726446_18396503101157340_1307151009896237615_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=APuL-3u8s6kQ7kNvwGYbIDv&_nc_oc=AdqjtrG3drbDj9btoJrikwudPgVPrcKJYhWKq53SEOcBKU3xNTLMTxXT-Men9s1wLGI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=3cTLPes0aOuaT-tVyFGEug&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQHIhZTkrpPcJpxL9WpxCI7iKmSnfbMVRRkEs_rvL4zzkUbK1uupbwUEw5s7pOm4vBfFZ49t8PY3&oh=00_Af5clRldjyIV9bBOJFexteCdmZzgqhpQAuSb9sk3nM3-SA&oe=6A1A393F)
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