Helping Immigrants Understand their Legal Rights and Obligations: Volunteer Training on Immigration Consults and Family Safety Planning
Help Immigrants Understand their Legal Rights and Obligations: Volunteer to Assist with Immigration Consults and Family Safety Planning
Immigration policies are changing rapidly, creating new rules for immigrants to comply with and different obligations for them to meet. Immigrant children and families navigating the immigration system often face these challenges alone—but they don’t have to. Volunteer attorneys play a critical role in helping families understand their rights and obligations, prepare for immigration court, and create family safety plans to prepare for a potential detention or deportation. To support this vital work, we offer a one-day training that equips volunteers to provide brief legal consultations and assist with family preparedness planning.
Pictured Above:
Team members of PBRC's Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project.
Questions about volunteering?
Contact the MILAP Team.
Questions about training access?
Contact the Education Team.
Why Volunteer with Us?
- Impact: Your support will empower immigrant children and families to understand their legal rights and obligations, and build safety plans that protect their loved ones.
- Support: Volunteers have access to malpractice insurance, comprehensive training, interpreters, and ongoing mentorship to ensure you are confident and well-prepared to assist families facing immigration challenges.
Training Requirement
Before volunteering, you must complete our in-depth training:
Friday, June 27, 2025 | AM Session: 9:00 - 12:00 PM | PM Session: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Lanham Hall Auditorium, Prince George's Community College
301 Largo Road, Largo, MD 20774
Training Highlights
This two-part training prepares volunteer attorneys to provide brief immigration consultations and assist families in creating family safety plans to prepare for a potential detention or deportation.
AM SESSION (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM): Interviewing and Giving Brief Advice to Immigrant Children and Families
Attendees will learn to:
- Use trauma-informed techniques when interviewing children and survivors of violence
- Understand eligibility for humanitarian protections (SIJS, Asylum, T-Status, U-Status)
- Navigate immigration court basics for beginners
- Conduct effective immigration consults and advise families on their rights and obligations
PM SESSION (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM): Helping Parents and Caregivers Plan for a Potential Deportation
Attendees will learn to:
- Draft standby guardianships and financial powers of attorney
- Advise families on their rights and obligations when stopped or detained by ICE
- Define adverse immigration actions and how to respond
- Guide parents in selecting guardians and activating their plans
Commitment
Your pro bono commitment depends on which session(s) you attend. Volunteers must accept their volunteer opportunity within one year of taking the training:
- AM Session only: Volunteer at 2 immigration consult clinics.
- PM Session only: Assist 2 families with safety planning in conjunction with a project partner (either at a clinic or by taking a case).
- Both Sessions: Volunteer at 1 immigration consult clinic and assist 1 family with safety planning (either at a clinic or by taking a case).
Staff of nonprofit legal services providers may attend without a pro bono commitment by registering with their work email address.
Co-sponsored by Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives, and the Department of Juvenile and Family Services for the Administrative Office of the Courts
