Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund

“Providing legal education and resources for immigrants seeking refuge and asylum.”

Provides legal education and resources for immigrants who are seeking refuge and asylum or in a removal process with a focus on underserved areas

Executive Director

Volunteer Opportunities

Additional Information

Organization

● Name: Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund

● Mission: We provide legal education and resources for immigrants who are seeking refuge and asylum or in a removal process with a focus on underserved areas. Our goal is to help them obtain freedom, independence and a pathway to becoming contributing members of society in the United States.
● Who They Serve: Primarily immigrants detained in Aurora, seeking
refuge in the U.S., from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle
East. Nearly all clients are people of color, and many identify as
LGBTQ+.
● Annual Budget: $350,000
● Year Founded: 2020
The Opportunity: What need are they addressing & why now?
Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund (CIJF) provides attorneys for immigrants
in various legal hearings and proceedings. The organization was created
by visiting volunteers who had identified a critical gap: most detained
immigrants lack access to legal representation, placing them at significant
risk of deportation to unsafe conditions. In the United States, immigrants
facing deportation are not guaranteed the right to legal counsel, leaving
many to navigate a complex legal system on their own. As a result, only
3–5% of unrepresented immigrants succeed in their cases, while those with
attorneys are up to 11 times more likely to prevail.
Why This Organization: What makes them uniquely positioned to address
this need?
CIJF is uniquely positioned because it combines lived experience, legal
expertise, and deep community trust. CIJF adapts quickly to shifts in
immigration enforcement and legal strategy—rapidly scaling its attorney
cohort and forming strategic partnerships to expand access to legal
support. The organization has been successful in fundraising and in finding

new ways to get detainees released such as filing group habeas petitions.
This has resulted not only in successful releases but in significant
reductions in cost per release.
What will this funding enable and what impact will it have.
Metro Denver Impact 100 Accelerator Grant funds will be used to support
more immigrants with legal representation. Over the next three years, CIJF
will expand its capacity to meet the rapidly growing need for legal services
among detained asylum seekers. Overview of results and how they
measure success?

Overview of results and how they measure success?
CIJF measures success through both growth in access to legal services
and outcomes achieved for detained asylum seekers. In one year, the
organization expanded from serving 20 clients to 98—a nearly 500%
increase—demonstrating its ability to scale in response to rising need. It
grew its attorney cohort from 5 to 20, enabling 5–10 weekly legal
consultations inside the Aurora Detention Center. Beyond reach, CIJF
tracks impact through case outcomes, with funded attorneys continuing to
secure wins for clients facing life-threatening circumstances despite
increasingly restrictive asylum policies. As of January 2026, CIJF has
provided legal services for over 700 asylum seekers.
How do they engage with and respond to their constituents?
CIJF volunteers write to and visit with immigrants in detention and
attorneys meet with referred immigrants as part of a legal assessment. The
Selection Committee reviews applications and includes visitation volunteers
and immigrant friends who had previously been detained and recently
released. Immigrants selected for representation then work directly with
one of CIJF’s attorneys.
The Bottom Line: Why this organization, why now, and the impact of
funding

CIJF stands out for its ability to pair deep community-rooted leadership with
rapid, strategic action in a volatile immigration environment. It has already
demonstrated that it can scale quickly—expanding legal access nearly
fivefold in a single year—while maintaining a clear focus on detained
asylum seekers facing urgent, life-threatening circumstances.
The need is immediate and growing. Enforcement surges, shifting policies,
and new legal pathways like habeas corpus are reshaping what effective
representation requires. CIJF is not only responding in real time but actively
building the field’s capacity by training attorneys and expanding access to
stronger legal strategies.
Funding now will directly translate into more representation, more skilled
attorneys equipped to pursue high-impact legal remedies, and more
individuals released from detention. At a moment of heightened urgency
and opportunity, investment in CIJF delivers both immediate relief for
vulnerable individuals and lasting improvements in the quality and reach of
immigrant legal defense.
Please feel free to visit their website at
www.coloradoimmigrantjusticefund.org to find out more.