Our Vision

ImmDef is fighting back every day against the immigration system's campaign of cruelty against migrants at the border with a focus on assisting children and families. Each day the situation at the border deteriorates further and the need for additional resources and capacity to help is clear.  Unfortunately, our immigration legal system routinely fails to live up to basic standards. Access to an attorney for all immigrants involved in deportation proceedings is the first step that we must take to ensure fairness in U.S. immigration courts. Our model of universal representation is built on this principle. It is our long‐term goal to ensure that no immigrant is forced to go to court alone.  

We believe that the right to counsel in deportation proceedings is a necessary step towards ensuring due process for all. 

Our Story

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) was founded by a dedicated group of advocates and activists interested in creating an organization on the vanguard of the movement for a public defender system for immigrants facing deportation. Our founders, many of whom previously worked together providing deportation defense at another non-profit organization, took a leap of faith in the summer of 2015 and struck out on their own.