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Esperanza Immigration Legal Services (EILS) was formed in 2009 with the mission to provide direct legal services, advocacy, and community education for underserved immigrants and their families so they have the opportunity to contribute to and participate in American society.
EILS is located in the heart of a low-income Latino neighborhood in North Philadelphia. We offer convenient, affordable, and culturally accessible services to the most underserved immigrants, with a focus on the Hispanic community in particular.
The local, grassroots work of EILS is closely related to the work of Esperanza’s campaign to support the passage of comprehensive immigration reform on a regional and national level.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
OUR MODEL
- We provide low-cost, non-litigation legal services to low-income immigrants and their families, including self-petitions for victims of domestic violence, special visas for unaccompanied minors, green card applications, family petitions, and naturalization applications.
- We also offer workshops in English and Spanish to help immigrant families thrive in the United States, on topics such as financial literacy, debunking common immigration myths, and preparation for emergency situations. We also conduct citizenship classes to prepare eligible candidates for the citizenship exam.
- We annually host Citizenship Day, convening a group of lawyers to offer their services pro bono to immigrants from the community.
- We speak English, Spanish, and French.
WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED
- Since its founding, EILS has provided legal services to more than 800 low-income immigrants. We have also served more than 1,500 immigrants in educational workshops.
- In that time, we have achieved more than 360 positive immigration remedies, and have helped naturalize nearly 200 new American citizens!
Watch The Madrid Family’s Story and see how EILS is changing the lives of immigrants in Philadelphia.
