Immigration Resources

Community referral list of nonprofit immigration legal-aid and advocacy organizations with an emphasis on Memphis, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Includes a dedicated Memphis & Shelby County section covering legal services, refugee resettlement, food and crisis support, healthcare, English classes, victim services, faith-based ministries, and culture.

A community referral list of nonprofit immigration legal-aid and advocacy organizations and trusted guides, with an emphasis on Memphis and on Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

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This page is provided as a free community resource. Last reviewed May 2026.

Please read first. This page is a community referral list of nonprofit organizations and public resources that assist with immigration matters. These are independent, third-party organizations. Patrick Brooks Law does not operate, control, endorse, or guarantee any organization listed here, and inclusion here is not a recommendation of any particular provider. Services, eligibility requirements, office locations, fees, and contact information change frequently — please confirm all details directly with each organization before relying on them.

The information on this page is general in nature and is not legal advice. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration law is complex and every case is different. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Start Here — Find Legal Help Near You

These free directories and tools are the best first step. They can connect you with vetted nonprofit immigration legal services anywhere in the country.

  • National Immigration Legal Services Directory — A searchable directory (by state, county, or detention facility) of nonprofit organizations that provide free or low-cost immigration legal help. A project of the Immigration Advocates Network and Pro Bono Net.
  • ImmigrationLawHelp.org — A companion directory designed to help low-income immigrants find nonprofit legal aid in their area.
  • Immi — A free, confidential online tool to screen for possible immigration options, learn about your rights, and get referrals to nonprofit legal help.
  • EOIR List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers — The U.S. Department of Justice’s list of free legal-service providers, organized by immigration court. Useful for anyone who has a case in immigration court.
  • AILA Immigration Lawyer Search — A free search to find a licensed private immigration attorney through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Memphis & Shelby County

An in-depth list of Memphis-area nonprofits and community organizations serving immigrants and refugees, organized by service type. Memphis is home to the Memphis Immigration Court, whose jurisdiction covers Tennessee, Arkansas, and northern Mississippi, and a deep network of legal, advocacy, and direct-service organizations has grown up around it. Two coordinating coalitions are referenced repeatedly below: the MEMigration Coalition (Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, Community Legal Center, Latino Memphis, Mid-South Immigration Advocates, and World Relief Memphis) and Welcome South (Advocates for Immigrant Rights, Community Legal Center, and Mid-South Immigration Advocates), the latter focused on removal defense and detained representation.

Immigration Legal Services

  • Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) — Nonprofit immigration law firm focused on removal defense, including representation of people detained by ICE. The only nonprofit in the Memphis area handling cases for clients in immigration detention. Serves Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. (901) 729-9560.
  • Community Legal Center — Immigrant Justice Program (CLC-IJP) — Since 2006, family-based applications, humanitarian relief (asylum, U-visa, T-visa, VAWA, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status), and removal-proceedings representation across the Memphis Immigration Court jurisdiction. (901) 543-3395.
  • Mid-South Immigration Advocates (MIA) — The first nonprofit law firm in the region whose core mission is free and affordable immigration representation for low-income clients. Direct representation before the Memphis Immigration Court and USCIS. (901) 244-4367.
  • Catholic Charities of West Tennessee — Immigration legal services and refugee support for the Memphis area. Part of the MEMigration Coalition.
  • Latino Memphis — Derechos / Immigrant Rights Defense Center — The largest Latino-serving nonprofit in West Tennessee. Sliding-scale immigration legal services plus social services, health navigation, education, and citizenship work through programs including Derechos, El Centro, Abriendo Puertas, and Tu Voz. (901) 366-5882.
  • World Relief Memphis — Refugee resettlement, immigration legal support, employment assistance, and English-language services. Serving Memphis since 2012. (901) 341-0220.

Also serving Memphis from elsewhere in the state: Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors, based in Nashville, takes humanitarian-relief cases statewide; and the Vanderbilt Law School Immigration Practice Clinic represents clients in humanitarian cases before the Memphis Immigration Court.

Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Trafficking Survivors

  • CasaLuz — The first and only nonprofit in the Memphis and Shelby County area culturally and exclusively serving Hispanic/Latinx victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, and other violent crimes. Bilingual/bicultural legal advocacy, education, and referrals. A critical first point of contact for survivors who may qualify for U-Visa, T-Visa, or VAWA immigration relief. (901) 500-8214.
  • Family Safety Center of Memphis & Shelby County — Co-located civil, criminal, health, and social services for victims of family violence; works with bilingual advocates and partners. (901) 222-4400.

Refugee Resettlement & Newcomer Support

  • World Relief Memphis — Refugee resettlement, employment programs, and legal support (see also Immigration Legal Services above).
  • Bethany Christian Services — Memphis — Refugee resettlement, employment assistance, and benefits management, plus the local chapter of Safe Families for Children. (901) 818-9996.
  • Refugee Empowerment Program (REP) — Refugee- and immigrant-led nonprofit founded in 2002 by Sudanese refugee Ruth Lomo. After-school programming, tutoring, transportation, citizenship preparation, and cultural integration; serves 500+ refugees and immigrants from over 20 cultures.
  • Asha’s Refuge — ESL classes, life-skills classes, transportation assistance, and partnerships with USCIS civil surgeons and immigration attorneys for green card and naturalization applicants. Mental-health connections and trauma-healing groups.
  • Multinational Memphis (Multinational Ministries) — Memphis’s oldest and largest refugee/immigrant ministry; serves 450+ children and families with after-school programs, English language learning, and community engagement. (901) 832-9061.
  • ICNA Relief — Refugee Program — Nationwide Muslim-led nonprofit serving refugees and underserved Americans, including the Memphis area, with case management, employment support, and family services.
  • Memphis Islamic Center (MIC) — Religious community center providing Zakat and Sadaqa assistance, mental-health counseling, and integration support for Muslim immigrants and refugees in the Memphis area.

Education, English Classes & Family Programs

  • Su Casa Family Ministries — Three core programs serving the Latino immigrant community since 2005: adult ESL classes (300+ students per year), the Esperanza Early Childhood Center (bilingual preschool, ages 1–4), and community services connecting families with healthcare, legal services, and other resources. (901) 244-4600.
  • Newcomer International Center (Memphis-Shelby County Schools) — A transitional public high school for newly arrived English learners and unaccompanied minors, located within Kingsbury High School. See schools.scsk12.org/nic.

Culture & Community

  • Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group — The only bilingual theater nonprofit in Tennessee, founded in 2010. Bilingual and Spanish-language plays, children’s and youth programs, and cultural events that connect Latino and broader Memphis audiences.
  • Latino Memphis — In addition to legal services, runs cultural, education, civic-engagement, and youth programs throughout West Tennessee.

Rapid Response, Advocacy & Mutual Aid

  • Vecindarios 901 (V901) — Grassroots, all-volunteer rapid-response network. 24-hour hotline: (901) 329-7979 to report suspected immigration enforcement activity. Volunteers verify reports, deploy legal observers, and connect families affected by detention with counseling, food pantries, and legal assistance. Bilingual know-your-rights training; whistle-signal community alert system.
  • MICAH — Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope — Coalition of community and faith-based organizations pursuing social justice in Memphis, including immigration advocacy and engagement around 287(g) agreements. Maintains an Immigrant Resources page in English and Spanish.
  • The Collective Good Immigrant Pantry (Indivisible Memphis) — Volunteer mutual-aid food pantry serving immigrant families afraid to leave home or with a primary provider detained or deported. Delivers groceries, hygiene products, diapers, and baby formula. Hotline and donation/wishlist information through Indivisible Memphis.
  • Mariposas Collective — Volunteer-run mutual-aid group providing meals, clothing, supplies, translation help, and community to immigrants and asylum seekers passing through Memphis to reunite with family. Community support, not legal services.

Local Government Resources

  • Shelby County Government — Office of Multicultural & Hispanic Affairs — (901) 222-3993. Liaison office for multicultural communities in Shelby County.
  • City of Memphis — Office of Multicultural & Religious Affairs — including the City’s 901 Pass local ID program. A 901 Pass ID can be useful for verification with city services or in certain interactions with local police, but should not be presented to ICE or other federal immigration officers. See the Know Your Rights section below.

Tennessee (Outside Memphis)

For Memphis-area organizations, see the dedicated Memphis & Shelby County section above. The organizations below serve Tennessee statewide or are based in Middle and East Tennessee.

Mississippi

  • Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA) — A statewide nonprofit offering legal clinics, know-your-rights workshops, low-cost immigration and naturalization services, and advocacy for immigrant and working communities.
  • El Pueblo Immigration Legal Services — Low-cost, DOJ/BIA-recognized humanitarian and family-based immigration legal services, with offices in Forest, Biloxi, and Columbus.
  • See also: Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) provides removal-defense representation for Mississippi residents (listed under Memphis above). The other Memphis-based legal organizations also serve northern Mississippi, which falls within the Memphis Immigration Court’s jurisdiction.

Arkansas

Immigration Help by State & U.S. Territory

The organizations below provide nonprofit immigration legal services, advocacy, or immigrant support in their states. (Memphis is covered in the dedicated section above; Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas are covered in the dedicated sections immediately above.) This is a starting point, not a complete directory — for the full picture in any state, also use the National Immigration Legal Services Directory. Always confirm services, fees, and eligibility directly with the organization.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

See the dedicated Arkansas section near the top of this page.

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

See the dedicated Mississippi section near the top of this page.

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

See the dedicated Memphis & Shelby County and Tennessee (Outside Memphis) sections near the top of this page.

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

U.S. Territories

Dedicated nonprofit immigration legal providers are limited in the U.S. territories. The legal aid offices below are the best starting point and can provide referrals; the national directories and organizations elsewhere on this page also serve people in the territories.

Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

Guam

American Samoa

Northern Mariana Islands

National Nonprofit & Advocacy Organizations

Government & Official Information

Know Your Rights & Avoiding Immigration Scams

Watch out for immigration scams. In the United States, a “notario público” or notary public is not a lawyer and is not authorized to give legal advice or represent you in immigration matters — this is different from the role of a “notario” in many other countries. Only a licensed attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice may give you legal advice. Be cautious of anyone who guarantees results, pressures you to sign blank or English-only forms you do not understand, or refuses to give you copies of your paperwork.

If you are not sure where to begin, start with the national directories at the top of this page — they will point you to a trusted nonprofit near you. This page is maintained as a public service and is updated periodically; if you notice a broken link or outdated information, please let our office know.