We are so excited to announce our 2026 Justice Fellows!
These 30 exceptional advocates, deeply committed to fairness, dignity, and the rule of law, are answering the call at a time when the need for skilled, fearless immigrant legal representation has never been more urgent.
"Every day in America, immigrants are deported not because they lack legal rights, but because they lack lawyers," said Jojo Annobil, IJC's CEO. "That is not justice. It is a failure we refuse to accept. Our 2026 class represents our answer to this crisis. They are not just lawyers, they are a lifeline."
Visit the link in our bio to read the full press release.
And keep an eye on our socials in the coming weeks to learn more about our new class of Fellows, we're so excited for you to get to know them!
We are expanding our fellowship offerings and are recruiting our inaugural class of Federal Litigation Fellows!
This fellowship opportunity is open to active IJC Fellows and Alumni from the Class of 2024, Class of 2023 and Class of 2022.
The Federal Litigation Fellowship, beginning in fall 2026, is designed to equip experienced removal defense attorneys with the skills, mentorship, and placement opportunities to move into federal litigation, creating a new generation of advocates prepared to challenge unlawful government actions, defend constitutional norms, and protect immigrant communities in federal court.
To learn more, visit the link in our bio!
Jonathan Campozano, a 2017 Justice Fellow, reflects on the most memorable day of his fellowship. Jonathan is now a Senior Staff Attorney at @neighborslink in Ossining, NY.
IJC’s 400+ alumni network represents an active and unprecedented community sharing legal resources, knowledge and mentorship on behalf of immigrants in need.
More than 90% of our Fellows have made careers practicing immigration law, and graduates continue to provide essential immigration services across the United States.
No one should have to live in fear of being separated from their family. Meanwhile, ICE is arresting and detaining people at unprecedented levels—in homes, workplaces, and even during routine ICE check-ins or court hearings—locking them up in horrific conditions, far from loved ones, with little to no access to representation.
We must fight for:
⚖️ Fair and accessible legal proceedings
💼 Access to legal representation for ALL
✊ An end to ICE’s unchecked power
IJC’s mission is to recruit, train, and populate the immigration field with the highest quality legal advocates to create a new generation of leaders with a lifelong commitment to immigrant justice.
For immigrants facing the threat of deportation or pursuing lawful status and citizenship, nothing makes a greater difference than skilled legal representation. Unlike criminal and family court proceedings, immigrants facing deportation in immigration court do not have a right to counsel if they cannot afford one.
IJC Fellows work every day to represent immigrants in need.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department's Board of Immigration Appeals issued Matter of Bolivar-Bolivar, a decision that fundamentally weakens due process in immigration court. While this ruling hasn’t made headlines, its impact is significant.
The ruling requires judges to hold hearings and issue deportation decisions even if no one appears in court, including the government’s own prosecutor, as long as ICE has filed paperwork alleging deportability. Allegations alone are now enough to move cases forward, without evidence being tested and without an advocate present.
This would be unthinkable in any other court system. In immigration court, it is now the law.
Help protect due process while there’s still time. Visit the link in our bio to give today.
👀We are looking for New York based organizations interested in hosting IJC Community Fellows for the 2026-2029 fellowship period.
Community Fellows carry their own caseloads and provide a broad range of representation, under the supervision of legal staff at their host organization. IJC covers full salary and benefits.
Placements will be in New York State, including New York City, Long Island, and Upstate New York.
Learn more about the program at the link in our bio!
Since its inception in 2014, IJC has trained and mobilized more than 500 Fellows to provide quality counsel and advocacy to date.
Our alumni network represents an active and unprecedented community sharing legal resources, knowledge and mentorship on behalf of immigrants in need.
More than 90% of our Fellows have made careers practicing immigration law, and graduates continue to provide essential immigration services across the United States.
📣We're hiring a NYIFUP Managing Attorney!
We are seeking a detained removal defense practitioner with demonstrated field credibility to run the NYIFUP Upstate Coordinator Project along with providing legal training, substantive guidance, and professional mentorship for NY Fellows focused on detention work.
The positon is hybrid, with 2-3 days in office in NYC. Salary is $115,000.
Learn more about the position and how to apply at the link in our bio!
Our 2024 Justice Fellows will be wrapping up their fellowships in a few months, and we are so proud of them!
Our largest class of Fellows ever, these attorneys have provided vital legal assistance to immigrants during a deeply tumultuous time.
Many of the 2024 Fellows worked with unaccompanied migrant children, part of an effort to close the representation gap for children seeking safety and protection in the United States.
Thank you to our 2024 Justice Fellows for all your hard work, we appreciate all that you do!
Apply to be a 2026 Community Fellow!
The 2026 Community Fellows will be inaugural three-year placements awarded to recent college graduates with the language skills, passion, and cultural competency to work with diverse immigrant communities.
We anticipate that 2026 Community Fellow placements will be in New York State, including New York City, Long Island, and Upstate New York.
Visit the link in our bio to learn more or apply today!
The very existence of IJC has raised awareness of both the crisis of representation and the dramatic difference representation makes in immigration cases.
Through our fellowship programs, IJC seeks to close the gap in access to representation and move the needle toward a universal right to counsel for all immigrants.
Our Fellows are part of that effort to ensure every immigrant in the United States has access to quality counsel.
