Harris County

Immigrant Legal Services Fund (ILSF) Program

The Immigrant Legal Services Fund is a Harris County Community Services Department program that will provide legal representation for immigrant community members, children and families facing the threat of deportation. Within Harris County, many immigrants and their families face the constant fear of arrest and deportation - leading to increased mental health stressors that impact our wider community health. Community members urged action, and this program was created as a result of advocacy and collaboration between the Houston Leads coalition and the County. 

Harris County strives to keep residents safe and is committed to ensuring immigrants have access to fair and affordable legal representation in deportation proceedings. Having an attorney ensures that an individual's right to due process is protected and can help prevent tragic family separation. Harris County values the rights of its immigrant and refugee residents and is committed to ensuring they have access to legal representation and supportive services. 

How can community members access the program?

- CALL the Immigrant Resource Hotline at 1-833-468-4664. This hotline is run by the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative in partnership with 5 non-profits. 

- GO ONLINE and enter in your referral at https://bit.ly/referILSF. You will need to confirm that the person is eligible for the program by sharing residence and income information. 

- Detained individuals: CALL (936) 213-0054. This number can be accessed from within the detention centers by dialing 944# from a phone inside the facility. It is meant to be used only by people who are calling from inside a detention center. 

Eligibility

To qualify for legal representation under the Program, the applicant must:

I.          Be currently detained in one of the four immigration detention centers in the Harris County-Houston Area.

II.         Be a resident of Harris County, Texas (lived in Harris County at least 30 days prior to detention).

III.        Earn less than 80% of the median family income for the Greater Houston Area.

Adults (18 and over) are eligible for services only if they are currently in a detention center.

Unaccompanied children under the age of 18 who were previously detained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement may be eligible for services through the ILSF after they are released from an ORR shelter. Please contact KIND for more information.

For more information about the program and how to access services:

Data Transparency

- Reports will be published here quarterly and annually.

Legal Service Providers

●        BakerRipley

●        Justice For All Immigrants

●        RAICES

●        Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

●        YMCA International Services

●        Galveston Houston Immigrant Representation Project