Just Neighbors Ministry
Just Neighbors Ministry

Project Information
Providing immigration legal services to low income immigrants and refugees in Northern VA
Describe the need affecting community
How will this Advance project help to address the need?
Just Neighbors will address this need by applying its 20 years of expertise in immigration legal services and volunteer management to help immigrants obtain legal status. Just Neighbors’ staff attorneys supervise volunteers from the community as they assist low-income immigrants and refugees with their applications to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This volunteer model allows Just Neighbors to help more clients and provides positive encounters between immigrants and non-immigrants. Not only does this model allow Just Neighbors to offer high quality legal services but it also leads to deeper understanding and compassion by both community volunteers and immigrants.
Describe the primary goal of the project
The long-term impact of Just Neighbors Immigration Legal Services is that immigrants and refugees will be able to find and/or maintain stable employment in their communities. When family members gain employment authorizations or legal permanent residence, individuals are able to pool their resources together for the benefit of the entire family, greatly increasing their ability to thrive. Besides the affirmation of self-worth, long-term legal status gives individuals the needed income to pay for food, clothing and housing for themselves and their families. Their ability to work legally will increase their family income and bring stability as some will be able to purchase a home or secure more long-term housing options. For some clients, the impact will be that they will eventually become U.S. citizens. Studies show that naturalized citizens earn more than non-citizens, are less likely to be unemployed, and are better represented in highly skilled jobs. Not only does citizenship offer immigrants a sense of membership and participation in society, it also gives them access to many other tax and Social Security benefits. In the national capital area, many government jobs and private contractors require a security clearance, many of which require U.S. citizenship. Since these jobs generally provide stability and better wages, having access to them would benefit both the individual and the community.
Describe the change you would like to see in the community as a result of this Advance project
The changes that Just Neighbors would like to see as a result of offering immigration legal services is that immigrants in Northern Virginia will be welcomed into the community and take their places as self-sufficient, contributing members of their communities. By providing individuals and families with the tools to become more self-sufficient, immigration legal services enables low-income immigrants to become a fuller part of the community because they can work, become united with their families and escape from the restrictiveness and fear of a household with domestic violence.