The Immigrant Justice Clinic (IJC) provides legal services to Wisconsin's under served immigrant community. This may include filing applications for humanitarian relief available to non-citizen victims of crime, persecution, and human trafficking, or defending non-citizens facing removal in Immigration Court.

Students also make monthly visits to the Dodge County Detention Center in Juneau, Wisconsin, to conduct screenings and provide legal assistance to non-citizens detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Clinic also engages in appellate advocacy on behalf of indigent non-citizens through the filing of written legal briefs to the Board of Immigration Appeals. IJC also works with criminal defense attorneys to negotiate plea agreements that will not adversely affect their clients' immigration status. Law students (under the supervision of the clinical instructor) provide these legal services free of charge.

Information for Students

The Immigrant Justice Clinic provides free legal services to Wisconsin's under served immigrant community while training law students in cutting-edge aspects of immigration law. Students who participate in IJC provide direct representation to non-citizens who are requesting relief from deportation. This may include filing applications for humanitarian relief available to non-citizen victims of crime, persecution, and human traficking, or defending non-citizens facing removal in Immigration Court. Students also make monthly visits to the Dodge County Detention Center in Juneau, Wisconsin, to conduct screenings and provide legal assistance to non-citizens detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Students interested in learning more about IJC should contact Professor Erin Barbato at ekmurphy@wisc.edu.

Volunteer Opportunities

IJC and CILC offers a number of volunteer and internship opportunities. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Beatriz Reiner at breiner2@wisc.edu

Information for the Public

How do I get help from the Immigrant Justice Clinic?

You may contact IJC at any time by calling 608-890-3753. We will schedule an intake, either over the phone or in person, to discuss your situation and the possibility of receiving legal services from IJC. Please attempt to gather any and all immigration-related paperwork that you may have in anticipation of an intake, as this will help us assess your case and our ability to represent you. 

If IJC is unable to accept your case for representation, we will refer you to an agency that can. If IJC decides to take your case, we will meet with you to sign a client services agreement and discuss the next steps in your case. 

IJC may be able to help you if:

  • You or a family member has been placed in removal proceedings and has been scheduled for a hearing before the Immigration Court in Chicago, IL;
  • You or a family member has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Dodge County Detention Center in Juneau, WI;
  • You or a family member does not have legal status in the USA, but has been the victim of domestic violence, human trafficking or any other crime in the USA;
  • You or a family member has been persecuted or tortured in their country of origin;
  • You are a criminal defense attorney representing a client who is not a citizen of the United States, and you want advice regarding the potential immigration consequences of a plea or conviction.

IJC cannot help you if:

  • You already have an immigration attorney;
  • You are looking for assistance in recovering wages from an employer:
    • You have questions regarding any other field of law, such as bankruptcy, family law, housing, personal injury, or worker's compensation. If you have a problem in one of these areas, please contact the State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyer Referral and Information Services at (608) 257-4666/(800)362-9082, or at www.wisbar.org.

En Español 

¿Qué es la Clínica de Justicia para el Inmigrante?

La Clínica de Justicia para el Inmigrante provee servicios legales a la comunidad inmigrante de Wisconsin, quienes generalmente no tienen acceso a estos servicios. Esto puede incluir aplicaciones de ayuda humanitaria disponibles para extranjeros sin ciudadanía americana que han sido víctimas de delitos, persecución, o tráfico humano, así como la defensa de inmigrantes  que están en proceso de deportación ante la Corte de Inmigración.  Ademas,  nuestros estudiantes realizan visitas mensuales al Centro de Detención del Condado de Dodge en Juneau, Wisconsin, para entrevistar y proveer ayuda legal a los que están detenidos por la migra.  La Clínica también representa y defiende a inmigrantes de bajos recursos que no tienen dinero para contratar a un abogado y apelar su caso, ante la Junta de Apelaciones Inmigratorias. La Clínica también trabaja con abogados criminales para negociar acuerdos con el fiscal que no dañen el estatus inmigratorio de sus clientes. Los estudiantes de derecho (bajo supervisión del abogado instructor) proveen estos servicios sin costo alguno.

¿Cómo obtengo yo ayuda de la Clínica de Justicia para el Inmigrante?

Ud. puede contactarse con la Clínica en cualquier momento llamando al 608-890-3753.  Programaremos una cita por teléfono o en persona para hablar sobre su situación y la posibilidad de recibir servicios legales de la Clínica. Por favor, junte todos los documentos inmigratorios que tenga antes de la cita, ya que eso nos ayuda a asesorar su caso y poder representarlo. Si la Clínica no puede aceptar su caso y representarlo, intentaremos referirle a otra agencia que si pueda.  Si la Clínica decide aceptar su caso y representarle, nos reuniremos con Ud. para firmar un contrato de servicios y para hablar sobre los siguientes pasos en su caso. 

Es posible que la Clínica le pueda ayudar si: 

  • Ud. o un familiar se encuentra en proceso de deportación y tiene fecha de corte ante la Corte de Inmigración de Chicago, Illinois.
  • Ud. o un familiar ha sido detenido por la migra en el Centro de Detención del Condado de Dodge en Juneau, WI.  
  • Ud. o un familiar se encuentra en los estados unidos indocumentado, y ha sido víctima de violencia doméstica, tráfico humano, o cualquier otro delito en los estados unidos.  
  • Ud. o un familiar ha sufrido persecución o ha sido torturado en su país de origen.  
  • Ud. es un abogado criminal y representa a un cliente que no es ciudadano americano y requiere consejos acerca de las posibles consecuencias inmigratorias de un acuerdo de culpabilidad.

La Clinica no te puede ayudar si:

  • Ya tiene abogado inmigratorio
  • Ud. necesita ayuda para recuperar dinero de un patrón
  • Tiene preguntas acerca de otra área de la ley, como la bancarrota, ley de familia, lesiones personales, o lesiones en el trabajo. Si tiene un problema en alguna de estas áreas, por favor contáctese con el servicio de referencias del estado de Wisconsin al 608-257-4666 / 608-362-9082, o por correo electrónico al www.wisbar.org.

Center for Dreamers

The Center for DREAMers provides legal representation at no cost for DACAmented recipients across Wisconsin through collaboration with the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the Economic Justice Institute. We also provide educational trainings on culturally responsive support for DACAmented and undocumented indivuals for students at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work at UW Madison, referrals to culturally competent social and mental health services, and state-wide education and career counseling to DACAmented college students through online resources, tools, and events. The Center also collaborates with colleges and universities state-wide to create tools to better serve DACAmented and undocumented students. 

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