Everyone Deserves Legal Representation and Due Process
RepresentLA is a publicly funded legal services program that provides universal, merits-blind removal defense support to immigrants facing deportation in Los Angeles County.
Nonprofit legal service providers
Access regardless of case merit
Pro Se Clinic for unrepresented immigrants
Access to Counsel, Regardless of Merit
RepresentLA is a publicly funded legal services program that provides universal, merits-blind removal defense support to immigrants facing deportation in Los Angeles County. The program is grounded in the principle that everyone deserves access to legal representation and due process, regardless of the perceived strength of their case, their background, or their ability to pay.
RepresentLA’s Removal Defense pillar is administered by CHIRLA in partnership with a network of nonprofit legal service providers. RepresentLA ensures that immigrants facing removal proceedings have meaningful access to legal support at a time when the immigration system is increasingly complex and unforgiving.
Why RepresentLA Matters Today
In today’s political climate, immigrants face heightened enforcement, prolonged detention, shifting legal standards, and limited procedural safeguards. Immigration court proceedings are adversarial and high-stakes, yet there is no guaranteed right to appointed counsel. As a result, many individuals are left to navigate proceedings that can permanently separate families or result in return to unsafe conditions, often without legal representation.
RepresentLA was designed to address this gap by providing universal, merits-blind access to removal defense services. This approach ensures that access to representation is not conditioned on case outcomes, likelihood of relief, or subjective assessments of merit. Instead, RepresentLA holds that due process itself is the goal, and that fair proceedings require legal access for all.
RepresentLA exists to ensure that people facing deportation are not forced to navigate the immigration system alone. Through a coordinated network of legal service providers, the program supports high-quality legal representation, stabilizes families, and strengthens community trust in the legal process.
What We Do
RepresentLA supports a range of removal defense legal services, including but not limited to:
Full-Scope Removal Defense
Full-scope removal defense representation for immigrants facing deportation proceedings.
Limited-Scope Representation
Limited-scope representation in targeted proceedings where focused legal support makes the difference.
Pro Se Support
Support for individuals navigating proceedings pro se, without an attorney of record.
Services are delivered by nonprofit legal organizations with deep expertise in immigration law and a commitment to serving impacted communities. All services are provided consistent with RepresentLA’s universal and merits-blind framework, ensuring equitable access across the program.
Pro Se Legal Support
Recognizing that many individuals in immigration court remain unrepresented, CHIRLA hosts a weekly Pro Se Clinic to support immigrants navigating removal proceedings without an attorney. Through this clinic, participants receive legal information, procedural guidance, and assistance understanding their rights and responsibilities in immigration court.
The Pro Se Clinic serves as a critical access point for individuals who may not yet have representation but still need reliable legal support to meaningfully participate in their cases and avoid unnecessary procedural harm.
Who We Serve
RepresentLA serves immigrants in Los Angeles County who are facing removal proceedings and meet program eligibility requirements. Priority is given to individuals who are detained, particularly vulnerable, or at heightened risk of deportation.
Program Accountability
RepresentLA is committed to transparency and accountability. Providers are required to track services, maintain complete case files, and report demographic and outcome data in accordance with funder requirements.
Our Provider Network
RepresentLA works with a network of eight (8) nonprofit legal service providers selected through a competitive process. Providers are required to meet program standards related to legal expertise, ethical practice, data reporting, and client-centered representation.
CHIRLA provides program oversight, technical assistance, and coordination to support providers in delivering effective and compliant services.
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
Central American Resource Center
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Immigrant Defenders Law Center
Council on American-Islamic Relations
USC Gould School of Law
Nonprofit public interest law firm
African Communities Public Health Coalition
Get Involved / Learn More
To learn more about RepresentLA, eligibility for services, or the organizations participating in the program, please contact us or visit the partner organizations directly.