Regional Immigration Assistance Centers, funded by the New York State
Office of Indigent Legal Services, are responsible for ensuring that
public defense practitioners within each designated region have access
to the training and legal support necessary to provide competent advice
to a non-citizen client as to potential immigration consequences of a
criminal conviction in compliance with Padilla v. Kentucky,
130 S. Ct. 1473 (2010). These Regional Centers also provide support
and assistance to counsel providing mandated representation to a parent
or other adult in family court proceedings that require competent advice
on immigration issues that may impact their parental rights.

Scroll down for contact information for the RIAC Centers
 

The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) in New York City has helped thousands of immigrants in New York State. Begun as a NYSDA initiative, the independent IDP not only houses the Padilla Support Center noted in the RIAC list above, but also provides other defender support; engages in or supports impact litigation; provides legal training, often in partnership with NYSDA or others; files amicus briefs and provides other assistance in post-conviction cases; offers legal advice on the immigration consequences of contact with Criminal and Family Courts; advocates for reforms to end the vilification and mass deportation of immigrants, particularly those with criminal convictions; and engages in community defense work geared toward building the capacity of advocates and directly-impacted people to respond to criminal-immigration issues.

IDP also provides Resources, including practice advisories and other materials for criminal defense attorneys and Family Court attorneys. And it has created Pardon: The Immigrant Clemency Project, which aims to protect immigrants and push back against policies that disempower and marginalize those with criminal histories.

IDP issues Practice Advisories in Light of Biden’s Current Enforcement Policies

• Practice Advisory for Criminal Defense Attorneys: The Biden Administration’s Interim Enforcement Priorities
• Practice Advisory for Immigration Advocates: The Biden Administration’s Interim Enforcement Priorities