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Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship

CIRC Logo

Volunteer Attorneys Needed for Cambridge Immigration Legal Screening Clinic

Follow the link above for more information on how you can get involved!

Need a legal consultation about your immigration situation? 

Call: 617-405-5479

Please leave a message with your name and contact number. You can call the message line any time before the third Wednesday of the month.

The next legal clinic date is Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

First, De Novo Staff will:

  • Return the call and ask questions to help assign you to an Immigration Attorney. 
  • Offer in-person appointments, when possible, starting in April 2023.
  • Roll additional calls to the next month if capacity is reached.

Then, you will receive a call from a volunteer Immigration Attorney a few days after the third Wednesday of the month.

Click here to download the English PDF Legal Clinic Flyer.

The flyer will soon be available to download in the following languages:

አማርኛ (Amharic) عربي (Arabic) | বাংলা (Bengali) |简体中文 (Simplified Chinese)| Español | Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole) | Soomaali (Somali) | Português


Are you new to Cambridge?

Check out our New Resident Guide for Cambridge-specific resources in the service areas most commonly needed by immigrants new to the City. 

Looking for legal resources in the Boston Area?

Use the box to learn about immigrant legal services or click the link to view as a website.


Need information on COVID 19 and the Vaccine in different languages?

The City of Cambridge has handouts translated in multiple languages. Click here to view the information

Visit the CDC website for "What to Expect Handout" in various languages: Here it is in EnglishEspañol, عربي (Arabic)中文 (Chinese, and Other languages can be found here.

You can also contact Massachusetts Informational and Referral hotline 211 for the COVID-19 Vaccine

(877) 211-6277: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All calls are free and confidential. Interpreter services are available in multiple languages. TTY (508) 370-4890: All calls are free and confidential.

To access information from the State in multiple languages, click here.


Need information regarding changes to the Public Charge Rule?

What is public charge? “Public charge” or the “public charge test” is used by immigration officials to decide whether a person can enter the U.S. or get a green card (Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status). In this test, officials look at all of a person’s circumstances, including income, employment, health, education or skills, family situation and whether a sponsor signed a contract (“affidavit of support”) promising to support the person. Officials can also look at whether a person has used specific benefit programs. The public charge test does not apply to green card holders who are applying for U.S. citizenship. 

The Cambridge Health Alliance prepared a website with information with information, resources, and where to get the help you need.

Please check the Protecting Immigrant Families website for regular updates regarding changes to immigration policies. Click here to learn more on how to navigate the Public Charge Rule change. 

Follow these links for additional legal assistance:

Overview of Basic Rights (Translations available at these websites)


Visit the State's website for the Emergency Planning Guide for Families prepared by the Office of Attorney General

Click here to download the Emergency Planning Guide for Families in English, Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole), Español, and Português

The guide outlines care and custody options, including caregiver authorization, temporary agent authorization, and guardianship of a minor. The guide offers a comparison of how these options differ, and outlines the process for setting up each of these arrangements. It also offers a checklist of documents that parents may want to ensure they have in a safe place and available to the child and his or her caregiver as needed, such as passports, medical records, contact information and more.


Are you worried about TPS? 

Click here for more information from MIRA.

We do not warranty their information nor have we verified it.


About CIRC

The Commission on Immigrant Rights & Citizenship (CIRC) was formed in September 2016 to address the needs of Cambridge’s immigrant community. It accomplishes this through its work in the following areas: 

  • Providing outreach material regarding immigrant rights and resources, both through its website and in locations throughout the City.
  • Coordinating “Know Your Rights” (KYR) Trainings, provided by experienced Immigration Attorneys, in conjunction with the American Immigration Lawyers Association – New England (AILA-NE) and the Political Asylum and Immigration/Representation (PAIR) Project. Know Your Rights trainings can be arranged through the CIRC Office, by host organizations with sites located in Cambridge. 
  • Providing “Red Cards” in eight predominant local foreign languages (Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish and Somali). Red Cards are provided at KYR Trainings, in the CIRC Office and by mail (in limited quantities) upon request.
  • Providing Outreach and Referral Services through a CIRC staff person who will assist Cambridge immigrant residents with identifying, accessing and obtaining City and local services and resources. This CIRC Outreach Worker will reach out to faith-based organizations, community organizations and meeting places that serve immigrant populations, to provide assistance to Cambridge resident immigrants related to housing, benefits, ESOL classes, citizenship classes, legal services and counseling needs. The CIRC Outreach Worker will be available to provide these services starting in fall 2017. 

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!


Click here to view CIRC's informational video

Staff and members of the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship discuss how their work serves immigrant residents in Cambridge.

 

 

 

Tips and FAQs

Are there additional languages available for the legal screening clinic flyer?

Yes! Click below for the following languages:

How can I arrange a Know Your Rights (KYR) training at my church, mosque, school, apartment building, organization, business, etc.?

Contact the CIRC Office

, at least three (3) weeks in advance of a proposed KYR Training, with your  proposed location, desired date(s) and time for the training (allow at least 1.5 hours). Your host site should be large enough to accommodate your intended audience and have a projector, screen and laptop for use by the KYR Trainer. The host site should be accessible to persons with disabilities. A contact from the host organization must be present during the event.  If the training is provided during the early evening, the host should consider providing a light meal and a separate daycare space and staff for young children who may have accompanied their parents. CIRC will arrange for the KYR Trainer/Attorney, provide outreach materials and “Red Cards.” CIRC can also provide a .pdf of an event poster for use by the host organization.

Do you want more information about U or T visa applications?

Persons seeking certification in support of  U or T visa applications should contact the Cambridge Police Department’s Office of the Legal Advisor regarding such certifications. The office can be reached through jmulcahy@cambridgepolice.org or by calling Legal Advisor James Mulcahy at 617 349-3344.

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