Esperanza’s Mira Loma Services:

An attorney from Esperanza is at Mira Loma five days a week, Monday through Friday.  Regularly, paralegals, administrative assistants or volunteers go with the attorney.  Together, they provide the following services:

Large Group Legal Rights Classes:

Every work day, typically beginning at 8:30 a.m., an Esperanza attorney gives a class on immigration law to every person in detention at Mira Loma who was booked into the facility the night before (occasionally, we are unable to give our class to individuals who were put into segregation or who voluntarily declined to attend, and occasionally we are unable to offer the class due to a holiday or staff unavailability).   In calendar year 2010, Esperanza gave this class to 6,154 human beings detained at the Mira Loma Detention Center. The class describes:

• The different types of deportation and their consequences;
• The legal requirements necessary to qualify for an immigration bond (however, very, very few people qualify for bond under current law);
• The most common criminal convictions that have immigration consequences; and
• The requirements of different types of legal claims that would qualify a person to stay lawfully in the United States.

Individual Legal Orientations:

After almost every large group legal rights class, Esperanza staff meet with as many detainees individually as possible.  We continue our teaching and explaining of the law, explain the consequences of alternative choices in the immigration process, and answering questions about the law. 

Workshops:

Esperanza attorneys and staff also offer advanced classes to individuals who are pursuing the same types of claims in their immigration hearings.  For example, we offer advanced classes on asylum law and on a defense for long-time lawful residents, called Cancellation of Removal for Lawful Permanent Residents.  In these classes we teach the law of a particularly claim in much more detail than in our general overview class.  We also offer weekly workshops on bond, explaining to individuals who qualifies for bond and how to ask the Immigration Judge for bond.

Pro Bono Attorney Placement:

Esperanza works to find pro bono (free) attorneys for people fighting their cases at Mira Loma.  These attorneys agree to represent people for free in the Immigration Court, under the guidance and mentorship of an Esperanza attorney.  Please see our pro bono page for more information.

Legal Representation:

Esperanza is able to take the cases of a small number of people detained at Mira Loma.  Please see our legal representation page for more information.