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Sponsored by: Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
Updated: September 27, 2021 2021 Giving Guide

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

2022 Goals

ILAP will continue to provide our full range of immigration legal services in 2022, operating remotely as necessary. When barriers to gaining stable legal status are removed, immigrants can attain safety, economic security, and access to opportunities that fulfill their dreams, making Maine a better place for everyone. Whether through an in-depth one-time consultation or full legal representation in complex multi-year cases, ILAP ensures that immigrant community members receive expert legal guidance and fair treatment under the law. And where laws and policies are unjust, ILAP works to change them.

Other critical initiatives include:

  • Responding to emergency legal needs as they arise, like supporting Afghan community members to reunite with their loved ones.
  • Expanding access to legal representation for immigrant children and youth across Maine with year two of our Immigrant Children’s Project pilot.
  • Providing screening and legal assistance for people who are applying for asylum and may benefit from the Mendez Rojas settlement agreement.
  • Ongoing federal litigation with ACLU of Maine and MaineLaw to advance racial justice and due process for immigrants.

Fundraising Events / Opportunities

ILAP is planning to bring back our signature fundraising event - CeleSoirée – in 2022! While we have missed coming together with our community in celebration, we look forward to re-connecting when it is safe to do so. We have some exciting ideas in the works, so please check our website and social media for updates.

Corporate sponsorship is critical to the success of all ILAP events. We invite any businesses who would like to show their support for Maine’s immigrant communities to contact us about opportunities for partnership.

Giving Opportunities

There are many ways to support ILAP’s work and help advance justice and equity for immigrants in Maine. You can:

Members of the Maine Bar can contribute to ILAP’s work through the Campaign for Justice at campaignforjustice.org, a special collaborative fundraising effort by Maine’s legal community to support legal aid.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers support all aspects of ILAP’s work through their dedication and commitment to our mission. We are actively recruiting volunteer attorneys to our Pro Bono Panel to provide representation in asylum cases and cases for vulnerable immigrant children and youth.

Mental health professionals can sign up to conduct psychological evaluations with ILAP clients on a volunteer or pro bono basis. These evaluations are critical pieces of evidence in our clients’ cases, providing expert documentation of past trauma and current mental health that can help them find safety and keep their families together.

Other volunteer opportunities arise throughout the year, including interpretation and translation, intake or immigration forms assistance, and contributing to our fundraising and communications efforts. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please visit ilapmaine.org/volunteer.

Leadership

Susan Roche, Esq., Executive Director
Leslie Silverstein, Esq., Board President: Attorney, Maine Immigration Attorneys

Board officers

Gloria Ines Aponte C., Board Vice President: Senior Program Officer, Maine Community Foundation

Amy Bruning, Board Treasurer: Finance Director, Elder Institute of Maine

Thomas Douglas, Esq., Board Secretary: Attorney, Douglas, McDaniel & Campo


Board Members

Eben Albert, Esq.: Shareholder, Bernstein Shur

Jenny Beverly, Esq.: Attorney, Beverly & Terison

Alicia Curtis, Esq.: Attorney, Berman & Simmons

Deanna Harnett: Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley

Lindsay Kay: Director of Grants and Budget, National Domestic Workers Alliance

Anne Kemper: Retired, Lewiston Adult Education

Peter Landis, Esq.: Attorney, Landis, Arn & Jaynes

Arnold Macdonald, Esq.: Counsel, Bernstein Shur

Robyn March, Esq.: Attorney, March Law Offices

Diane Mutagoma: Legal Recruiting Coordinator, Bernstein Shur

Priya Natarajan: Math Teacher, Portland Public Schools

Adele Ngoy: Owner, Antoine’s Formal Wear

Shafaat Qazi: Head of Engineering, Lateral Flow, Abbott

Blanca Santiago: Retired, Portland Public Schools

Ron Stegall: Retired

Andrea Summers: Executive Director, Foundation for Portland Public Schools

Caroline Teschke, M.D.: Retired, Portland Community Free Clinic

At a Glance:

Established: 1993
Employees: 18
Annual revenue: $1,918,173

Top funding sources

47% Foundations
35% Donors and events
10% Pandemic relief funds
8% State funding for civil legal aid

Contact

Portland Office
P.O. Box 17917,
Portland, ME 04112
(207) 780-1593

Lewiston Office
P.O. Box 1376,
Lewiston, ME 04240
(207) 780-1593

https://www.ilapmaine.org
https://www.facebook.com/ILAPMaine
https://www.twitter.com/ilapmaine

Awards / Accolades

Charity Navigator Exceptional Rating GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency Maine Justice Foundation 2021 Thomas P. Downing, Jr. Award Maine Liaison to the American Immigration Lawyers Association Maine Women’s Fund 2019 Leadership Award

Mission Statement

The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) helps our clients navigate the increasingly unjust immigration laws we have now, while we push for a more equitable immigration system for the future. As Maine’s only statewide immigration legal services organization, we directly engage 3,000+ people annually and reach countless more through advocacy.

Service locations

Maine, statewide