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Legal Directory

Immigration Equality

  • Location:
    594 Dean St
    Brooklyn, NY 11238
  • Phone:
    (212) 714-2904
  • Fax:
    (212) 714-2973
  • Contact methods:
    Email, Fax, Mail/Letter, Phone calls, Website, Detention Hotline: (917) 654-9696
  • Appointments accepted:
    Yes

Immigration Equality is the nation’s largest LGBTQ immigrant rights organization. We provide free legal services to and advocate for people from around the world fleeing violence, abuse, and persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. Our legal team has won asylum for hundreds of LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants. We also provide free legal services to binational couples and families separated from their loved ones. We provide services nationwide.

Counties served: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings (Brooklyn), Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, Niagara, NY (Manhattan), Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond (Staten Island), Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming, Yates
Detention Facilities Served: Anchorage Correctional Complex (AK), Baldwin County Correctional Center (AL), Dekalb County Detention Center (AL), Etowah County Detention Center (AL), Lonoke Police Dept Detention Center (AR), Miller County Jail (AR), Sebastian County Detention Center (AR), Apache County Jail (AZ), Central Arizona Correctional Center (AZ), Coconino County Detention Facility (AZ), Eloy Detention Center (AZ), Florence Correctional Center (AZ), Florence SPC (AZ), La Paz County Adult Detention Facility (AZ), Navajo County Sheriff (AZ), Pinal County Adult Detention Center (AZ), San Luis Regional Detention Center (AZ), Santa Cruz County Jail (AZ), Yavapai County Detention Center (AZ), Adelanto Detention Center (CA), Alhambra City Jail (CA), Contra Costa County Jail (CA), East Mesa Detention Facility (CA), El Centro SPC (CA), Glendale Police Department (CA), Imperial Regional Adult Detention Facility (CA), James A. Musick Jail (CA), Kern County Jail (Lerdo) (CA), Orange County (CA), Otay Mesa Correctional Facility (CA), Pasadena City Jail (CA), Pomona City Jail (CA), Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (CA), Sacramento County Jail (CA), San Bernardino County Jail (CA), San Diego CDF (CA), San Francisco Detention Facility (CA), San Jose Detention Facility (CA), Santa Ana City Jail (CA), Taft (CA), Theo Lacy Facility (CA), Ventura County Jail (CA), Yuba County Detention Center (CA), Conejos County Jail (CO), Denver Contract Detention Facility (CO), El Paso County Jail (CO), Fremont County Jail (CO), La Plata County Jail (CO), Moffat County Jail (CO), Park County Jail (CO), Pueblo County Jail (CO), Teller County Jail (CO), Baker County Facility (FL), Broward Transitional Center (FL), Collier County Naples Jail Center (FL), Glades County Detention Center (FL), Krome Service Processing Center (FL), Monroe County Jail (FL), Orange County Jail (FL), Pinellas County Jail (FL), Wakulla County Facility (FL), Atlanta City Detention Center (GA), Cobb County Jail (GA), D. Ray James (GA), Folkston ICE Processing Center (GA), Hall County Jail (GA), Irwin County Detention Center (GA), McRae (GA), North Georgia Detention Center (GA), Stewart Detention Center (GA), Whitfield County Jail (GA), Hardin County Correctional Center (IA), Linn County Jail (IA), Marshall County Jail (IA), Polk County Jail (IA), Pottawattamie County Jail (IA), Dale G. Haile Detention Center (ID), Elmore County Jail (ID), Jefferson County Justice Center (ID), Minicassia Detention Center (ID), Elgin Police Department (IL), Jefferson County Justice Center (IL), Kankakee County Jail (IL), McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility (IL), Rock Island County Correctional Center (IL), Sangamon County Jail (IL), Tri-County Detention Center (IL), Marion County Jail (IN), Butler County Jail (KS), Chase County Detention Facility (KS), Rice County Detention Center (KS), Shawnee County Department of Corrections (KS), Boone County Jail (KY), Grayson County Detention Center (KY), LaSalle Detention Facility (LA), Oakdale Federal Detention Center (LA), Saint Tammany Parish Jail (LA), South Louisiana Correctional Center (LA), Tensas Parish Detention Center (LA), Bristol County House of Corrections (MA), Franklin County House Of Corrections (MA), Norfolk County (MA), Old Colony Correctional Center (MA), Plymouth County Correctional Facility (MA), Suffolk County House of Corrections (South Bay) (MA), Carroll County Detention Center (MD), Frederick County Detention Center (MD), Howard County Detention Center (MD), Worcester County Detention Center (MD), Cumberland County Jail (ME), Calhoun County Correctional Center (MI), Chippewa County (MI), Dearborn Police Department (MI), Genesee County Jail (MI), Kent County Jail (MI), Macomb County Facility (MI), Michigan Corrections Facility (MI), Monroe County Detention Main (MI), Monroe County Jail (Main) Office (MI), Saint Clair County Jail (MI), Wayne County Detention Facility (MI), William Dickerson Detention Center (MI), Carver County Jail (MN), Freeborn County Adult Detention Center (MN), Nobles County Jail (MN), Ramsey County Adult Detention Center (MN), Sherburne County Facility (MN), Caldwell County Detention Center (MO), Christian County Jail (MO), Lincoln County Detention Center (MO), Mississippi County Detention Center (MO), Montgomery County Jail (MO), Morgan County Adult Detention Center (MO), Platte County Detention Center (MO), Scott County Jail (MO), Adams (MS), Cascade County Jail (MT), Jefferson County Detention Center (MT), Alamance County Detention Facility (NC), Cabarrus County Jail (NC), Forsyth County Jail (NC), Gaston County Jail (NC), Henderson County Detention Facility (NC), Mecklenburg County Detention Center North (NC), New Hanover County Jail (NC), Wake County Sheriff Department (NC), Grand Forks County Correctional Facility (ND), Cass County Jail (NE), Dakota County Jail (NE), Douglas County Department of Corrections (NE), Hall County Department of Corrections (NE), Phelps County Jail (NE), Strafford County Correction (NH), Bergen County Jail (NJ), Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility (NJ), Essex County Correctional Facility (NJ), Hudson County Correctional Facility (NJ), Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility (NJ), Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (NM), Cibola (NM), New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility Grants (NM), Otero County Processing Center (NM), Henderson Detention Center (NV), Nevada Southern Detention Center (NV), Washoe County Jail (NV), Albany County Jail (NY), Allegany County Jail (NY), Buffalo Federal Detention Facility (NY), Chautauqua County Jail (NY), Clinton County Jail (NY), Ontario County Jail (NY), Orange County Correctional Facility (NY), Rikers Island Prison Complex (NY), Wayne County Jail (NY), Bedford Heights City Jail (OH), Butler County Correctional Complex (OH), Geauga County Jail (OH), Mahoning County Jail (OH), Maple Heights City Jail (OH), Morrow County Correctional Facility (OH), Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (OH), Seneca County Jail (OH), Trumbull Correctional Institution (OH), David L. Moss CJC - Tulsa Jail (OK), Garvin County Detention Center (OK), Great Plains (OK), Columbia County Jail (OR), Jackson County Jail (OR), Josephine County Jail (OR), Northern Oregon Correctional Facility (OR), Umatilla County Jail (OR), Allegheny County Jail (PA), Berks County Family Shelter (PA), Cambria County (PA), Clinton County Correctional Facility (PA), Erie County (PA), Lackawanna County Prison (PA), Montgomery County Correctional Facility (PA), Moshannon Valley (PA), Pike County Correctional Facility (PA), York County Prison (PA), Charleston County Detention Center (SC), Lexington County Jail (SC), York County Detention Center (SC), Pennington County Jail (SD), Davidson County Sheriff Department (TN), Western Tennessee Detention Facility (TN), Bedford Municipal Detention Center (TX), Big Spring (TX), Brooks County Detention Center (TX), Burnet County Jail (TX), CCA Detention Center Houston (TX), Coastal Bend Detention Facility (TX), Collin County Jail (TX), Conroe Detention Facility (TX), East Hidalgo Detention Center (TX), Eden (TX), El Paso Processing Center (TX), Euless City Jail (TX), Giles W. Dalby (TX), Houston Contract Detention Facility (TX), Houston Service Processing Center (TX), IAH Detention Center Livingston (TX), Jack Harwell Detention Center (TX), Joe Corley Detention Facility (TX), Johnson County Detention Center (TX), Karnes County Correctional Center (TX), Karnes County Residential Center (TX), La Salle County Regional Detention Center (TX), Laredo Contract Detention Facility (TX), Limestone County Detention Facility (TX), Lubbock County Detention Center (TX), Polk County Adult Detention Center (TX), Port Isabel Service Processing Center (TX), Randall County Jail (TX), Reeves (TX), Rio Grande Detention Center (TX), Rolling Plains Correctional Facility (TX), South Texas Detention Facility (TX), South Texas Family Residential Center [Dilley] (TX), T. Don Hutto Residential Center (TX), Val Verde Correctional Facility (TX), West Texas Detention Facility (TX), Utah County Facility (UT), Washington County Jail (Purgatory Correctional Facility) (UT), Weber County Correctional Facility (UT), Alexandria City Jail (VA), Arlington County Jail (VA), Farmville Field Office (VA), Hampton Roads Regional Jail (VA), Loudoun County (VA), Prince William (VA), Rappahannock Regional Facility (VA), Rockingham County Jail (VA), Tacoma Northwest Detention Center (WA), Yakima County Department of Corrections (WA), Dodge Detention Facility (WI), Kenosha County Detention Center (WI), Kenosha County Pre-Trial Facility (WI), Eastern Regional Jail (WV), Northern Regional Jail (WV), South Central Regional Jail (WV), Natrona County Jail (WY), Platte County Jail (WY), Sweetwater County Jail (WY)

Services Provided

Are immigration legal services provided? Yes
Areas of immigration legal assistance: Adjustment of Status, Asylum applications, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Family-based petitions, Removal hearings, T visas, U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions
Types of immigration legal services provided: Filings with USCIS, Representation at Asylum Interviews (Credible Fear Interviews, Reasonable Fear Interviews), Representation before the Immigration Court, Representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Federal court appeals
Non-legal services: Administrative advocacy (CIS/ICE/CBP), Legislative advocacy (state or national), Referrals to other services
Populations served: Detained individuals, Domestic Violence Victims, Human Trafficking Survivors, Individuals who are not in legal immigration status, Individuals with criminal histories, Individuals with physical/mental disabilities, Juveniles, Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, Torture survivors
Languages spoken: English, French, Russian, Spanish
Access to a commercial interpreting service or language bank: No
Nominal fee charged? No
Other information: Can serve clients nationwide. Services are available only for clients whose immigration issue is related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or HIV status.

Staffing Information

Number of attorneys on staff: 7
Is organization BIA recognized? Yes
Number of fully accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of partially accredited BIA representatives on staff: 0
Number of paralegals/legal workers on staff: 3

Additional Details

Pro Bono opportunities? Yes
Network affiliations: American Immigration Lawyers Association, Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), Immigration Advocates Network

Administrative Information

Contact Person:
Ricardo Medina
(212) 714-2904
Executive Director:
Aaron Morris
(212) 714-2904
Last contact date: February 21, 2018
Administrator comments: 9/26/11: changed service area to NYC counties, change back to Nationwide when that display functionality is available, other changes made as requested by Victoria Neilson. 9/17/12: tickler. 1/29/14: tickler 12/15/14: tickler 1/29/15: updated info to include serving nationally 2/12/15: tickler 4/17/16: tickler 21 Feb 2018: tickler 15 Oct 2021: tickler 18 Oct 2021: updated from tickler responses
IAN Members? Yes
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