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Areas of Service at World Relief Southern California
First Time Intake Form
To receive case management, employment services, or help with public benefits, please complete our intake form
Immigration Legal Services
To receive the support and knowledge you need to maintain stable immigration status, for yourself and your family here in the U.S.
San Diego Services
We envision a San Diego where all of our newly arriving neighbors can thrive and flourish, and where we together create communities of welcome throughout the county. Visit this page to learn more, including client referral.
Important Update
World Relief Laments Suspension of U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program
January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program for at least four months.
World Relief Responds to Executive Order Seeking to Terminate Birthright Citizenship
January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to terminate the principle birthright citizenship, which is enshrined in the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Noncitizens have rights, including:
- Not opening your door if an ICE or other law enforcement officer is at your door. You can ask to see a judicial warrant through the window or ask the officer to slide it under the door. If the warrant is not signed by a judge, or with your specific name and address on it, do not open the door.
- When questioned by ICE, remaining silent or telling them that you want to talk to your attorney or DOJ accredited representative before answering their questions or providing any documentation. If you are not sure if the officer is from ICE or another agency, ask the officer.
- Not signing anything without first speaking to an attorney or DOJ accredited representative. It is important not to sign anything or you may lose your right to meet with an attorney or attend an immigration hearing before being deported.
- If you are outside, asking if you can leave, and leaving calmly if the officer says yes.
- If you do not have lawful status, it is recommended not to carry documentation showing your country of origin. Do not carry false immigration documents.
- Helpful Sites:
- Red Cards – print your own or order for free. Available in 14 languages. Carry this card with you so you are prepared to exercise your rights.
- How to Use Your Red Card – illustrated and multilingual
- Know Your Rights and What Immigrant Families Should Do Now – available in 8 languages
- A Guide to Workplace Rights for Immigrants – available in English and Spanish
- A Guide to Your Rights When Interacting with Law Enforcement – available in 10 languages
- Know Your Rights Tutorial Videos – available in 6 languages
- Know Your Rights: Immigrant Rights – available in 16 languages; various scenarios
- Know Your Rights: 100 Mile Border Zone – available in 9 languages
Here are some links to templates and other resources:
- Family Preparedness Plan - available in English, Chinese, and Spanish. Focuses on California residents.
- Safety Planning
- Emergency Planning Guide – available in English and Spanish
- Create an Emergency Plan - available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole
- Make a Plan: Essential Steps for Migrant Parents for Preventing Family Separation – available in English and Spanish
What can I do if my loved one is detained by ICE?
Consult the plan
If your loved one provided you with an emergency preparedness plan, consult the plan and follow the action steps.
Locate them:
- If you are not sure where they are being held, search the ICE Detainee Locator for persons 18 years or older. You will need their A-number (an 8 or 9 digit number assigned by the U.S. government) and country of birth, or all of the following: first name, last name, and country of birth (date of birth is optional). Please note the online Locator will only work if the information you input matches ICE’s information exactly.
- When you locate your loved one, you can contact the detention facility to schedule calls or visits. The facility may only allow for virtual visits.
- You can also ask the facility the processes for (1) setting up phone accounts for your loved one to call you, and (2) sending your loved one money for any food or basic necessities while in detention.
Exercise caution in conversations with them: If your loved one contacts you after apprehension by ICE, do not discuss their country of birth or immigration status over the phone. ICE can listen to these conversations. Your loved one should only discuss these topics, as well as any criminal history, with their attorney or DOJ Accredited Representative.
Connect them with legal assistance: If your loved one does not already have an experienced immigration law practitioner assisting them, contact a qualified practitioner to discuss how you can assist your loved one with obtaining representation while they are detained. Here is a nationwide directory of low-cost and free immigration legal service providers.
Check to see if they have a case pending before the Immigration Court:
- Locate their immigration court hearing information at EOIR Automated Case Information by inputting their A-number. Keep checking this regularly if information does not appear initially.
Some individuals do not have a right to a hearing before the Immigration Court.
- If your loved one has an outstanding removal order or prior removal from the U.S., they do not have a right to a hearing and can be deported without a hearing before the judge. You can check for outstanding removal orders and prior removals at EOIR Automated Case Information
- If your loved one does not have lawful status and was convicted of an offense considered an aggravated felony under immigration law, they are not entitled to a hearing before removal.
- However, if individuals in the above categories express a fear of return to their country, they are eligible for a Reasonable Fear Interview (RFI) with an Asylum Officer. If they pass the RFI, they can then seek protection from removal in immigration court.
- Individuals who may be subject to expedited removal include those arrested at or near the border without permission to enter the U.S. In expedited removal proceedings, the individual does not have the right to a hearing before the immigration court. If the individual expresses a fear of returning to their country and pass a Credible Fear Interview, they will either move on to an immigration court hearing or an Asylum Merits Interview.
- Expedited removal proceedings can happen very quickly, with very little time (often just a few hours) to obtain legal counsel.
- Expedited removal is anticipated to expand under President Trump and could include individuals who entered without inspection and have been in the U.S. less than two years.
- If your loved one may be subject to expedited removal, it is important that ICE receives evidence right away of their continuous presence in the U.S. for at least the two years prior to their apprehension.
- Evidence of presence may include school records for them or their children, birth certificates of children born in the U.S., receipts, leases, utility bills, mail or other documentation with name, tax returns, and more. Do not submit items showing the detainee’s country of birth or immigration status unless they have lawful status.
- If your loved one may be subject to expedited removal, it is important that ICE receives evidence right away of their continuous presence in the U.S. for at least the two years prior to their apprehension.
Report raids: If your loved one was apprehended during an immigration raid to a workplace or other location, report this to your city or state’s rapid response network, if there is one. Some networks include:
It is important to consult with a person who is qualified to practice immigration law – either an attorney licensed in the U.S. or a Department of Justice (DOJ) Accredited Representative. You can search for nonprofit, qualified practitioners in the World Relief Legal Support Network or National Immigration Legal Services Directory. You can also ask check the provider’s name on the DOJ Accredited Representatives Roster or ask to see their law license.
Beware of individuals and businesses that are not authorized to practice law. Here are some websites to help you avoid immigration scams and notario fraud:
- Tips to Avoid Common Immigration Scams - available in 20 languages
- Stop Notario Fraud - available in 7 languages
- Resources for Victims of Notario Fraud
For individuals who have a temporary legal protection, such as Temporary Protected Status, parole, Deferred Action or Deferred Enforced Departure, it is possible that President Trump will follow through on campaign pledges to end some of these protections — but that will likely take time, and we anticipate legal challenges to his actions. The best advice we can give is to consult with a DOJ-accredited representative or an immigration attorney who can help you to understand your specific circumstances and risks — and to help pursue more permanent legal protections if you qualify. You can find our network of offices and affiliate sites with Immigration Legal Services at worldrelief.org/immigration-legal-services.
For individuals who are already in an immigration court proceeding, U.S. law ensures that you have due process, so you should not be at risk of deportation until your final immigration court proceeding — so long as you always show up for scheduled hearings. If you are scheduled for a hearing and do not already have legal representation, contact a low-cost removal defense provider. You can search for help at www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/. If you do not have time to find legal representation before your hearing, attend your hearing and ask the judge for more time to find counsel.
For those who are undocumented, who entered the United States without inspection or who overstayed a temporary visa, it is possible that the Trump administration could seek to begin removal proceedings, as he has pledged to do. However, the Trump administration’s ability to carry out this policy could be limited by the amount of funding appropriated by the U.S. Congress and legal challenges. Congress is very unlikely to appropriate the full amount of funding necessary to deport all undocumented immigrants. We urge you to familiarize yourself with your rights under U.S. law (attend a Know Your Rights training) and to consult with a DOJ-accredited representative or experienced immigration attorney to review if you have options for legal status under the law.
A U.S. president does not have the authority to end birthright citizenship. A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court or an amendment to the U.S. Constitution would be needed to end birthright citizenship (learn more here).
President Trump’s executive action about citizenship does not apply to individuals already born in the U.S. It seeks to exclude individuals from automatic citizenship if they are born in the U.S. on February 20, 2025, or after and fit into one of these categories:
- A child whose mother is unlawfully present in the U.S. and whose father was not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of the child’s birth, or
- A child whose mother has temporary authorization to reside in the U.S. and whose father was not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of the child’s birth.
Although President Trump’s executive order has already been challenged in court, it may be more difficult for individuals in the categories above to obtain proof of U.S. citizenship while the cases are pending.
The executive order directs government agencies to issue public guidance within 30 days of the order, so we will know more details in the coming weeks.
No, your parole is not terminated by an executive order. The executive order called Securing Our Borders directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to terminate all categorical parole programs “contrary to the policies of the United States” as set forth in President Trump’s executive orders. In particular, the executive order mentions the parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans. The executive order does not mention a similar categorical parole program called Uniting for Ukraine.
It is unclear whether DHS would terminate parole periods for those already granted parole under any of these programs, or whether it will only prevent future grants of parole and re-parole under the affected categorical parole programs. We will learn more in coming weeks when DHS acts on the executive order.
DHS has authority to revoke parole if it is deemed no longer warranted. When parole is terminated, the individual may be required to leave the U.S. or face removal proceedings if they do not have other authorization to remain in the U.S. There is no formal process to appeal the termination of parole, but immigrant advocacy groups are expected to file court challenges if a parole program is terminated.
If you are a humanitarian parolee and have no other authorization to remain in the U.S., it is important that you consult with a qualified immigration law practitioner about what options you may have to remain in the U.S. if you wish to stay after your parole period ends.
DACA Update
On Friday, January 17, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a federal district court ruling that the Biden administration’s 2022 Final Rule to codify DACA violated U.S. law. However, the Fifth Circuit:
- Limited the scope of the lower court’s ruling to Texas, rather than nationwide;
- Stayed the ruling, pending appeal, to keep DACA available for current recipients; and
- Kept deportation protections potentially intact, even if DACA-based work authorization is terminated under a future ruling.
What does this mean for current DACA recipients?
- Current DACA recipients can still renew their DACA and DACA-based work authorization.
- Current grants of DACA and related work authorization remain valid until expiration, unless individually terminated.
What does this mean for initial DACA applicants? USCIS will continue to accept initial DACA applications, but will not process them at this time.
What’s next? It is unclear how President Trump will handle DACA. World Relief continues to call upon Congress to create a permanent pathway to citizenship for Dreamers to provide them with an opportunity for stability and full integration into their home in the U.S.
However, independent of the new presidential administration, it is facing legal challenges and could be terminated by the courts in the coming year or two. It’s also possible that President Trump could seek to terminate DACA, which he attempted to do in his first term. That effort was blocked when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his administration failed to follow the proper procedure to terminate DACA — but they also made clear that the executive branch does indeed have the authority to terminate this program, which was initially created not by Congress but by the executive branch, if it follows the proper procedure. Those who currently benefit from DACA should consult with a Department of Justice accredited representative or immigration attorney to assess what options they may have, if any, under the law. Even if your DACA is still valid for a year or more, consider submitting your renewal application prior to Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025), as this could protect you longer even if DACA is terminated. DACA recipients planning to travel outside the U.S. on advance parole should strongly consider returning prior to January 20, 2025.
The executive order suspends refugee admissions to the US after January 27, 2025. We are waiting for detailed guidance from our partners in the US government about how they will implement this order and what this means for refugees with travel bookings after that date.
The executive order also suspends any new decisions on applications for refugee status.
The executive order suspends refugee admissions until the President determines that resuming resettlement is in the interests of the United States. In the meantime, the order allows for individuals to be admitted on a case-by-case basis, at the direction of the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State.
The order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report to the President within 90 days determining whether resuming refugee resettlement would be in the interests of the United States.
The order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General to examine how “state and local jurisdictions may have greater involvement in the process of determining the placement or resettlement of refugees in their jurisdictions.” We are waiting for detailed guidance from our partners in the US government about how they will implement this and what this might mean for our local offices.