BIA-recognized immigration help in Illinois — free DOJ-accredited organizations

BIA-recognized immigration help in Illinois — free DOJ-accredited organizations

This page lists every non-profit in Illinois currently authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice (Board of Immigration Appeals / BIA) to provide immigration legal representation. Source: the EOIR Recognition & Accreditation Roster, last updated 10/18/2026. EOIR updates it periodically, not on a fixed schedule.

BIA-recognized organizations are non-profits that serve primarily low-income clients — many provide representation free or for sliding-fee based on income. Their accredited representatives (Full Accreditation can appear before the immigration courts, the BIA and DHS; Partial Accreditation may represent clients only before DHS) practice ONLY immigration law.

BIA-recognized organizations in Illinois

77 offices run by 54 distinct organizations listed in the EOIR Recognition & Accreditation Roster for Illinois, as of the roster published October 18, 2026. The table has one row per office, so an organization with several locations appears more than once. The roster also lists 4 extension offices of these organizations that are not rows in the table; they are listed below it. These non-profits are recognized through EOIR’s Recognition & Accreditation Program (U.S. Department of Justice) to provide immigration legal representation at low or no cost.

Extension offices in EOIR’s roster dated 10/18/26 that are not rows in the table (the roster gives no date or status for these offices; their organizations are in the table):

• Ascend Justice, West Harrison Street Extension Office: 555 W. Harrison, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60607, (312) 325-9155
• Erie Neighborhood House, 4225 W. 25th Street Extension Office: 4225 W. 25th Street, Chicago, IL 60623, (773) 542-7617
• Spanish Community Center, 51 W. Jackson St., - Joliet Extension Office: 51 W. Jackson St., Suite 210, Joliet, IL 60432, (815) 727-3683
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, South Lewis Avenue/Waukegan Extension Office: 671 S. Lewis Avenue, Waukegan, IL 60085, (847) 782-4225

How to verify and contact a BIA-recognized organization

1. Confirm current status at the EOIR roster — recognition can be withdrawn, and EOIR updates the roster periodically — check the “Report Last Updated” date at the top of the roster PDF.
2. Call ahead to check service availability — many orgs have waitlists, especially for asylum and removal-defense cases.
3. Ask about fees before signing a representation agreement. Free or sliding-fee is standard.
4. Bring all USCIS notices + photo ID to your intake appointment.
5. Beware of “notarios” — USCIS’s list of who may help you with immigration matters includes licensed attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives working for an organization on DOJ’s recognized list, and law students or graduates supervised by one of them. A “notario público” in the U.S. is NOT a notario in the Latin American sense and cannot legally represent you.

Related procedural information

• Immigration court in Illinois — the EOIR court that hears removal cases for residents of Illinois
• Legal aid in Illinois — broader civil legal aid (housing, family, public benefits)
• Find an immigration attorney — AILA directory + private bar
• Avoid notario fraud — what to watch for
• Know Your Rights — ICE encounters — constitutional protections

Last verified: 2026-09-24. Source: U.S. Department of Justice EOIR Recognition & Accreditation Roster. General procedural information — not legal advice. Always verify organization status and ask about fees before signing a representation agreement.

BIA recognition program context (2025-2026)

The Recognition & Accreditation (R&A) Program, administered by EOIR, is governed by 8 CFR 1292.11-1292.20. Recognition is valid for six years, unless the organization has conditional recognition, valid for two years — granted to an organization not recognized before, one with federal tax-exempt status pending, or one approved again after its recognition was terminated (8 CFR 1292.11(f)); the three-year term is the validity period of an individual representative’s accreditation, not the organization’s recognition (8 CFR 1292.12(d)). Renewals require re-application and updated documentation. As of the 2026-10-18 EOIR roster: 1,450 recognized organizations operate 1,566 offices nationwide — read that 1,450 as roster listings, one per organization per city, so an organization with offices in three cities is counted three times; the roster’s own header counts 950 distinct recognized organizations. Those offices are staffed by representatives holding Full Accreditation (immigration courts, the BIA and DHS) or Partial Accreditation (DHS only, including USCIS).

To be recognized, an organization must be a non-profit that provides immigration legal services primarily to low-income and indigent clients, and if it charges fees it must have a written policy for accommodating clients unable to pay; EOIR reviews its fee schedule, fee-waiver policy and annual budget as part of recognition (8 CFR 1292.11(a)(1) and (b)). Each organization sets its own fees, and neither EOIR nor any other national source publishes what recognized non-profits — or private immigration attorneys — actually charge. Ask for the fee schedule in writing and compare quotes before you commit.

EOIR publishes the Recognition & Accreditation Roster at justice.gov/eoir/recognition-accreditation-roster-reports and updates it periodically — the file carries its own “Report Last Updated” date at the top. Verify an organization’s CURRENT status (Active vs Pending Renewal vs Provisional vs Withdrawn) before signing a representation agreement. Organizations whose recognition EOIR terminates (8 CFR 1292.17) are removed from the recognition and accreditation roster.

For attorney directories: AILA Find-A-Lawyer at ailalawyer.com (paid membership, vetted), Legal Services Corporation grantees at lsc.gov (income-limited legal aid), American Bar Association lawyer referral at americanbar.org/groups/legal_services. Avoid “notario” fraud: in the US, a “notary public” is NOT a notario in the Latin American sense and cannot give legal advice. Report notario fraud to your state attorney general AND USCIS at uscis.gov/avoid-scams.

EOIR Hotline for case status: 1-800-898-7180 (24/7 automated; English/Spanish menu).