Every day, the Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund (CIJF) stands beside immigrants fighting for safety, stability, and a chance to belong. We provide critical legal services, resources, and advocacy for people across the U.S. who face incredible barriers navigating our complex immigration system.
Here’s the truth: immigrants with legal representation are far more likely to win their cases than those forced to represent themselves. Yet for hundreds of thousands of immigrants in need, free or low-cost legal help is nearly impossible to find.
Right now, more than 200 immigration detention centers operate across the country—91% run by private companies—even though government studies show these facilities are less safe. Last year, 1.7 million new immigration court cases were filed, flooding an already strained system. Meanwhile, billions are being poured into detention, with no federal funding for legal counsel.
Recent policy changes have made things even harder. New restrictions at the border and an expansion of detention capacity to 116,000 beds have created overwhelming barriers for people fleeing danger. Between 2024 and 2025, the number of detained immigrants jumped from 37,000 to nearly 60,000. Without an attorney, only 3-5% win their cases, but with representation, they’re up to 11 times more likely to succeed.
At CIJF, we refuse to let people face this system alone. Our work makes sure low-income and detained asylum seekers have access to justice—and a real chance at a safe future.
You can be part of that fight. Your support helps us provide free legal services to people who have nowhere else to turn. When you donate, you’re giving someone the representation that can literally change—or save—their life.
Join us. Stand with immigrants. Make your gift today.
We provide legal education and resources for immigrants who are seeking refuge and asylum or in a removal process with a focus on underserved areas. Our goal is to help them obtain freedom, independence and a pathway to becoming contributing members of society in the United States. Our funding supports immigrants of all faiths, belief systems, races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations.
Founded in 2020, we at the Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund began as a group of friends dedicated to helping asylum seekers find safety. Our journey first started in 2017 as volunteers with Casa de Paz, offering friendship and support to immigrants at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Aurora, CO. Through these visits, we saw firsthand the severe lack of legal resources, leaving many at risk of deportation to dangerous or even deadly situations.
In response, we raised funds between 2018 and 2019 to hire asylum attorneys for 15 detained immigrants. That experience inspired CIJF’s official launch. By 2022, we became a 501(c)(3) and expanded our reach to support more asylum seekers nationwide.
Our belief is simple: all individuals deserve equal protection under the law. This commitment has made CIJF a leading force in the fight for immigrant rights. Last year alone, we provided legal services and advocacy to 165 asylum seekers in Colorado and California, and funded “pro se” materials to help immigrants in Louisiana represent themselves in court. As global crises continue, the need for these services keeps growing.
All of our team members are volunteers, which means roughly 90% of our funding goes directly to legal fees for immigrants.
Our clients are some of the most vulnerable people in the world. 100% live below the federal poverty line and face major legal and structural barriers to safety. Many are monolingual, held in detention, or fleeing war, trafficking, persecution, or political violence. We prioritize individuals with strong legal claims who are at high risk of deportation without representation.
Through CIJF, people like “Maria,” a trafficking survivor from El Salvador, “Alten,” a Buryat refugee from Siberia, and “Teddy,” an Eritrean activist fleeing persecution, were able to secure legal representation, navigate complex asylum processes, and win safety in the United States.
With your support, we can continue to stand beside people like Maria, Alten, and Teddy, ensuring they have a real chance at safety, stability, and a new life in the United States.
Organization name
Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund
2020
Tax id (EIN)
88-1529558
Category
Human Services, Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, Public & Societal Benefit
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
2949 N LAFAYETTE STDenver, CO, US
Aurora, CO, US
Calexico, CA, US
New Orleans, LA, US