Protective & Legal Services

El Concilio California’s Protective & Legal Services Department provides free and low-cost legal assistance to immigrants and vulnerable community members across the Central Valley. Our protective and legal services include trusted guidance, bilingual support, and practical legal pathways designed to promote safety, stability, and lawful status for individuals and families.

Legal Protection and Stability for Our Communities

The Protective & Legal Services Department provides legal assistance and advocacy to individuals and families facing complex or urgent circumstances.

Our services are focused on protecting rights, preventing further harm, and helping people navigate complex legal systems with clarity and confidence.

The Protective & Legal Services Department serves:

Our work supports children and adults who are abused, abandoned, neglected, or at risk. We are committed to providing equitable, accessible legal services that help individuals comply with immigration law, protect themselves from harm, and pursue long-term stability.

Immigration Legal Services

El Concilio California has been a leading provider of free and low-cost bilingual citizenship preparation and immigration legal services since 1968.

Our Immigration Legal Services Unit assists immigrants, refugees, Dreamers, and survivors of domestic violence with naturalization applications, legal permanent residency, renewals, eligibility screenings, and related immigration matters. Led by experienced immigration attorneys and supported by immigration paralegals, our services promote immigrant integration, self-sufficiency, safety, and stability for low-income communities.

Services include citizenship applications, permanent residency, DACA, family petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U and T Visas, VAWA petitions, asylum for unaccompanied children, Immigration Court Help Desk support, and Legal Orientation Programs for custodians.

Victim Protective & Legal Services

El Concilio California provides legal support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other violent crimes. Victim Protective & Legal Services helps individuals understand available legal protections, connect with supportive community resources, and take steps toward greater safety and stability.

Services may include legal consultations, assistance with restraining orders, guidance on Victim Compensation benefits, information about public benefits for eligible survivors, and connections to other community resources.

Victim Compensation programs may help eligible victims with certain expenses related to crime. Many undocumented crime victims worry that using these benefits could affect future immigration status. The supplied program information states that Victim Compensation benefits and medical benefits, such as ambulance and hospital costs, will not affect future immigration status.

Legal consultations
Assistance with restraining orders
Connections to supportive community resources
Guidance on Victim Compensation benefits
Information about public benefits for eligible survivors
Medical Expenses
Counseling
Relocation from a dangerous home

Older Adult Services & Housing Insecurity Services

Older Adult Legal Services

We provide legal assistance to older adults and caretakers, addressing issues such as estate planning, guardianship, and elder abuse. Our goal is to protect the rights, dignity, and Wellbeing of older adults while ensuring appropriate legal protections are in place.

Housing Insecurity Services

We assist individuals and families experiencing housing instability, focusing on eviction prevention and access to stable housing. Our program works to help individuals understand their options and pursue safe, secure housing.