We can keep people in the US today

A family together

Maria and her family had suffered unimaginable violence. Finally, they were eligible for green cards, so she applied. Months later, she received news that shocked her. Everyone had been approved but her son, Jose. He may be sent back to a country he barely knew.

Two weeks before the application was due, Maria found Open Door Legal. We collected the necessary evidence, translated her responses, and overnighted the paperwork that made a case for why Jose should stay in the country. A few months later, Maria got a very special call. Jose’s green card had just arrived in the mail. Now, he could celebrate his first thanksgiving as a lawful permanent resident.

The problem

Immigrants are being wrongfully denied status because of complications within the application process. Most funding goes to deportation defense, and application assistance is largely ignored.

Our solution

Provide comprehensive immigration services so that more people can stay in the US. By actually getting status for our undocumented neighbors, we will not only keep them in the country: we give them a path to upward mobility.

Immigration denials are on the rise

In 2019, over 76,000 people like Jose had their green card requests denied.¹ Many of these rejections are due to application mistakes, which easily can be avoided with legal help.

In addition, reporting from NPR shows that Asylum seekers are 5x more likely to win their cases when they have legal representation than applicants without full representation.²

Access to legal help improves an immigrant’s chances of staying in the country.