GBLS' Immigration Litigation Fund

GBLS' New Immigration Litigation Fund

Our immigrant neighbors are at risk. Aggressive changes to immigration policies and procedures over the past year mean that low-income immigrants face a challenging process to achieve immigration relief and receive lasting legal status in the United States. We need your financial support to ensure that we can continue to represent low-income immigrant clients and families when they need legal protection the most.  

The Need

For over 125 years, GBLS has been effective at fighting for our clients’ rights and freedoms. The current federal administration has made GBLS’ and other immigration advocates’ work much harder. Immigration cases are often long and drawn out, and now they are especially scrutinized and challenged, with additional barriers put in place to keep immigrants – especially families and individuals with low or limited incomes – from achieving the immigration relief to which they are entitled under the law.

Among other changes, the fee schedule imposed at every stage of immigration proceedings has increased dramatically, making applying for permanent legal status or other forms of relief even more difficult. For instance, the fee for appealing a claim to the Board of Immigration Appeals – the highest administrative body for interpreting and applying immigration laws – was previously $100 but now costs tenfold as much at $1,010. By making lawful immigration relief increasingly unaffordable, the federal government has made it even harder for low-income immigrant households to survive.   

Who We Serve

GBLS’ immigrant clients are hard-working members of our community, many of whom have been in the United States for years. They have built lives for themselves in our region, started families, created businesses, paid taxes, and been productive and contributing members of our communities. Others are newer arrivals, coming to the Boston area in search of safety and stability after fleeing dangerous conditions in their country of origin. 

GBLS’ clients, who must have low and limited incomes to qualify for GBLS’ free legal assistance, frequently scrimp and save to pay for their USCIS applications and other fees.But not all clients have these support systems or are able to save enough to cover the fees. For those who cannot afford the ancillary costs of their immigration case, GBLS steps in to help cover litigation costs, which may include application and filing fees, expert testimony, background reports, and more. These expenses must be paid in order to advance the goals of the case and achieve immigration relief for our clients. With the increased requirements associated with immigration cases, as well as an overall increase in demand for services, GBLS is absorbing greater expenses to effectively represent our clients. These cost increases threaten our ability to carry out our work.

How You Can Help

In order to effectively serve our immigrant clients who cannot afford to absorb the costs associated with their urgent, life-changing cases, we are seeking $100,000 in additional funding in 2026 to support our newly launched Immigration Litigation Fund. Every dollar counts.

By supporting GBLS, our clients, and our new Immigration Litigation Fund, you can help your neighbors right now in our community. Stand with us to make a difference at this pivotal moment – to fight for justice, fairness, and for the rights and dignity of our neighbors and friends.