• Home
• About Us
• Programs
• Publications
• Client Assistance
• Volunteer
• Donate
• Training

Casa Cornelia Law Center is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide quality pro bono legal services to victims of human and civil rights violations within the indigent immigrant community in San Diego County. We are also committed to educating the immigrant and legal communities on matters pertaining to the legal status and rights of immigrants under U.S. law.

Asylum
Persons with a credible fear of persecution or torture are legally entitled to protection within the United States through political asylum. However, because asylum applicants have no right to appointed counsel, many are prevented from presenting a legally sufficient case because they lack the financial means to hire an attorney. Casa Cornelia reaches out to these individuals, providing pro bono legal representation.

Domestic Violence
Among the most vulnerable in the community are undocumented women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Because their spouses or fathers have legal status, they are eligible to immigrate. However, their abusers refuse to legalize their status, and instead threaten their victims with deportation and separation from family. Through outreach clinics and pro bono representation, Casa Cornelia enables abused women and children to self-petition for immigration status each year.

Detained Unaccompanied Children
Each year, thousands of unaccompanied children enter the United States in search of safe haven or family reunification. Arrested and detained by federal immigration authorities, and with no right to appointed counsel, they would remain for months in detention without Casa Cornelia's intervention. To protect their legal rights and ensure safe family reunification, Casa Cornelia has a commitment to represent every detained unaccompanied child in San Diego.