Since launching the Torrance Pro Bono Project in July 2025, Law Lab staff and volunteers have met with hundreds more people in ICE detention at TCDF. We provide legal orientation so that people can make the best decision available under harsh circumstances, for themselves and their family. We support folks with crucial legal tasks such as asylum applications and document translation. We also provide folks detained with opportunities to speak out about their experiences and advocate for their rights and dignity.
Law Lab is looking for in-person and remote volunteers to support people detained who are fighting their immigration cases:
- In-person volunteers in New Mexico can join us for our weekly Thursday legal orientations and biweekly Wednesday asylum application workshops.
- Remote volunteers who speak Spanish can support document translation for Wednesday workshops and at other assigned times.
Trained and vetted volunteers and operate under the supervision of Law Lab staff and attorneys. Prior legal experience is NOT needed. Volunteers assist Law Lab staff in scaling up legal service provision, as well as documenting harms and violations as they occur inside the ICE prison. Many conversations with people detained require fluent Spanish, but we are able to use the support of monolingual English. We are also looking for support from other language speakers, including Arabic, Haitian Kreyol, Mandarin Chinese, French, Turkish, Portuguese, and more.
Under the intense challenges of current US immigration policy, providing people detained with the ability to fight their case is a way to show solidarity and keep a door open to safety and community instead of isolation and separation.
Huge shout out to the incredible volunteers that have already joined us!
- Over 50% of people that have volunteered in person have done so more than once - come find out for yourself why this is such an important and powerful experience.
- Our remote team has supported dozens of translations and counting, and taken on a range of other key support tasks.
Learn more and sign up here. Thank you for joining us in this fight!
