irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $72KILJNY was one of three sites selected within the ILJ Network to participate in the national Leading with Welcome program, funded by the United Methodist Committee on Relief and coordinated by Church World Service. In 2024, ILJNY provided legal advice, counsel, and in some cases full representation for asylum seekers newly relocated to New York and New Jersey. Through this program, ILJNY partnered with Church World Service to pair case management and social services with legal representation for individuals in affirmative asylum and defensive immigration proceedings. Clients included people fleeing persecution and violence who required urgent legal protection to stabilize their lives and remain with their families in the United States. By participating in Leading with Welcome, ILJNY addressed a critical gap in the asylum system at a time of heightened need.
- #2 $46KILJNY provided community education and outreach programs designed to equip immigrants with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate complex legal processes. ILJNY provided Know Your Rights presentations and legal information sessions at the Church of St. Paul and; St. Andrew United Methodist in Manhattan, where newly arrived migrants participated in group workshops and one-on-one legal consultations. These sessions helped individuals understand requirements such as ICE check-ins, how to change venue to New York immigration court, and the steps for filing asylum or work authorization applications. In addition, ILJNY collaborated with community partners to extend outreach in other spaces, including public venues where immigrant workers and families gather. These efforts ensured that vulnerable populations had access to accurate legal information and guidance.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Church-Based Legal Clinics
Free legal clinics hosted in trusted religious spaces across NYC neighborhoods, providing one-on-one consultations and ongoing representation for immigrants facing deportation or seeking relief.
Know Your Rights Workshops
Community education sessions held at churches and public venues, including St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church and Belmont Racetrack, offering legal information on ICE check-ins, asylum applications, work authorization, and court procedures.
Leading with Welcome
Provides legal representation and social services pairing for asylum seekers newly relocated to New York and New Jersey, in partnership with Church World Service; addresses urgent legal protection needs in affirmative and defensive asylum proceedings.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Immigrant Rights Education & Legal Preparedness 2 activities
- Conducting Know Your Rights workshops and legal education sessionsHosts educational workshops and one-on-one consultations to inform immigrant communities about their legal rights and available immigration relief options. These sessions are conducted in Manhattan and other locations to increase access to critical legal information.
- Training faith leaders on immigration rights and legal processesProvides capacity-building training to church leaders to equip them with knowledge and tools to educate their congregations and support undocumented immigrants in understanding immigration rights and legal pathways.
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Immigration Legal Services 2 activities
- Providing legal advice and representation on U.S. immigration mattersOffers comprehensive legal services to low-income and vulnerable immigrants, including legal advice, counsel, and full representation in asylum cases, deportation defense, family-based petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U and T visas, VAWA self-petitions, DACA applications, naturalization, and adjustment of status. Services are delivered through church-based and neighborhood clinics in Brooklyn, Chinatown, and other locations across New York.
- Representing clients in federal immigration courts and appellate bodiesProvides legal representation before federal courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, USCIS, and consular offices, including in precedent-setting appellate cases and complex removal proceedings.
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 1 activity
- Co-founding and supporting faith-based immigrant sanctuary coalitionCo-founded New Sanctuary CT, a coalition of eleven faith communities that provide physical sanctuary and support to immigrants facing deportation, as part of broader advocacy and community protection efforts.
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Public Benefits Navigation and Enrollment 1 activity
- Providing administrative and documentation support to immigrantsAssists clients with essential administrative tasks such as scheduling Social Security appointments and obtaining documentation required for Real ID and other identification purposes, facilitating access to broader services.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$702K
Contributions & grants$702K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$1440%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$636K
Program expenses71%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$506K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$584K
Cash$341K
Investments$0
Liabilities$49K
Net assets$535K
Liquid reserves6.4 mo
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue +36.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| THOMAS MILLS | MANAGING ATTORNEY | 40 | $91K |
| PAUL FLECK | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $76K |
board members · 11
- DONNA AKUAMOAH — DIRECTOR
- GAIL DOUGLAS-BOYKIN — SECRETARY
- JASON FACHLER — TREASURER
- JEAN F MONTALVAN — DIRECTOR
- KATE BOYD — VICE CHAIR
- RAJI KALRA — CHAIR
- REV CLAIRE WU — DIRECTOR
- REV DR HUGH HAMILTON — DIRECTOR
- REV DR MARJORIE NUNES — DIRECTOR
- REV XIMENA VARAS — DIRECTOR
- WAYNE MOY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- Church World Service Partner — Collaborated to assist nearly 1,000 Burmese refugees who arrived in Guam on a 15-day visa waiver.
- Church World Service Partner — Cooperates with Church World Service to provide social services assistance alongside dedicated asylum attorney services.
- Church World Service Partner — Partnered with ILJNY to provide case management and social services alongside legal representation for asylum seekers.
- Church-based clinics Partner — Collaborates with church-based clinics to deliver immigration legal services.
- Immigrant Defenders Law Center Partner — Nneka Okpara previously worked as a Law Clerk for Immigrant Defenders Law Center representing unaccompanied minors.
- Immigration ARC Partner — Nneka Okpara serves as Visiting Senior Fellow at Immigration ARC for the Black Immigrant’s Initiative Program.
- New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund Funder — Proudly supported by The New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund
- The New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church Government — Proudly supported by The New York Annual Conference and The United Methodist Church
- The New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church Network — Formerly operated as a ministry of The New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church with an Advisory Board.
- The United Methodist Church Government — Proudly supported by The New York Annual Conference and The United Methodist Church
- The United Methodist City Society Funder — Proudly supported by The United Methodist City Society
- The United Methodist Committee on Relief Government — Originally started by The United Methodist Committee on Relief and continues to operate under its grant program, the Leading with Welcome initiative.
- United Methodist Committee on Relief Network — Immigration Law & Justice New York is an immigration ministry of the United Methodist Church established by UMCOR in 1999.
- United Methodist Committee on Relief Network — Immigration Law & Justice New York is part of the ILJ Network established by UMCOR as an immigration ministry of the United Methodist Church.
- United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Network — Founded the New York JFON program in 1999 under UMCOR's immigrant refugee ministry.
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Government — TJ Mills worked with UNHCR through an internship with IOM and later participated in sabbaticals in Egypt and Mexico to supervise refugee interviews and train officers.
- Unsplash Partner — Source of article image used on the website
- Urban Justice Center Partner — Nneka Okpara previously worked as an Immigration Staff Attorney at the Urban Justice Center’s Youth Project and Sex Worker’s Project.
- local churches Partner — Partners with local churches to deliver immigration services and engage volunteers in ministry.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Church-Based Trusted Setting Modelmethodology: trusted_community-based_service_deliveryBy delivering legal services within faith-based community settings such as local churches, we increase access and trust among immigrants who perceive these spaces as safe from enforcement, because the physical and relational proximity to trusted institutions lowers psychological and cultural barriers to seeking help.
- Community Legal Empowermentmethodology: community_legal_educationBy conducting community education and outreach, we increase immigrants’ capacity to navigate legal systems because knowledge reduces fear and enables proactive engagement with legal processes.
- Integrated Legal and Social Support Modelmethodology: integrated_legal_and_social_servicesBy combining immigration legal services with case management and social services, we improve client resilience and procedural success because holistic support addresses non-legal barriers (e.g., housing, mental health) that otherwise destabilize immigration cases.
- Relational and Trauma-Informed Legal Advocacymethodology: relational_legal_advocacyBy maintaining long-term, relationship-based legal representation and using trauma-informed, narrative-centered methods, we improve legal outcomes for asylum seekers because sustained trust enables fuller disclosure of experiences and more robust case documentation.