Program Services

Immigration Legal Assistance Program

The Immigration Legal Assistance Program has been serving the San Luis Valley since 1987, when it was formed under the auspices of San Luis Valley Christian Community Services. This program was formed to provide immigration legal assistance to the growing immigrant and refugee population who were located in the San Luis Valley. The San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource Center is currently recognized and accredited as an Immigration Service Provider by the Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP) and has been accredited for the past ten years. It is overseen by the Colorado Lawyers Committee Immigration Task Force.

The Immigration Legal Assistance Program provides, for a nominal fee, legal assistance and consultations for low-income persons needing assistance.The program uses its limited resources to:

Provide immigration legal advice for U.S. citizens, immigrants, and undocumented people needing assistance.
Prepare immigration and naturalization forms, which include Adjustment of Status, Family Petitions, Conditional Residency, Naturalization, Renewing Resident Cards, Visa packets, and Affidavits of Support.
Translate, certify, notarize, and copy documents.
Make referrals as appropriate.

For more information please contact Accredited Representative Flora Archuleta at 719-587-3225 ext. 11

For more information please contact Accredited Representative Flora Archuleta at (719) 587-3225 ext. 11

Por Ti Misma-Assisting Battered Immigrants

The Por Ti Misma – Assisting Battered Immigrants program helps domestic violence victims/survivors in seeking legal residency under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This program assists women and men who would otherwise be eligible to apply for legal immigration statuses through their spouses, but whose abusive partners have refused to help them. Through VAWA, we guide the applicants during the process of petitioning for residency, while effectively putting control of the immigration process in the hands of the victim/survivor.

VAWA offers the opportunity to request legal permanent residency status for battered spouses and children, without the help or knowledge of the abuser. This process allows victims/survivors to gain much greater control of their own lives. A battered immigrant may be able to:

Self-petition with USCIS to request permanent residency
Suspend deportation proceedings
Obtain deferred action
Change conditional residency status to permanent residency status
Request a work permit

The decision to stay with or leave the abuser is a decision the victim/survivor makes on her/his own. The petition allows the victim/survivor to make this decision freely, without pressure from the spouse. In addition, the whole process is completely confidential. USCIS will not contact the applicant (victim/survivor) directly. Also, the abusive spouse will not be notified and the victim/survivor’s choice to petition will not affect the abuser. We also assist crime victims who qualify to apply for the U-visa. The purpose of the U-visa, which is a nonimmigrant visa, is to give victims of certain crimes temporary legal status and eligibility in the United States for up to 4 years. Family members may also be included in the petition including spouses, children, unmarried sisters and brothers under 18, mothers, fathers, as well as stepparents and adoptive parents. An approved U-visa petition will automatically grant the applicant work eligibility in the United States. 10,000 U-visas are issued every fiscal year. Each case is considered individually. For more information, please call Immigrant Advocate Angelica Raya Trejo at (719) 587-3225 ext. 13

Crime Victim Housing Program

The Housing for Crime Victims Special Project that helps victims increase access to and retain safe, long-term housing and provides some of the support they need to rebuild their lives. The program helps with housing assistance, and utilities assistance. A staggering 92 percent of women who are homeless reported having experienced severe physical and/or sexual assault at some point in their lives. The goal of the Project include, among others, assisting crime victims in meeting their long-term housing needs, enhancing and expanding community support, and providing low-barrier survivor-driven mobile advocacy by meeting survivors where it is safe and convenient for them. For more information, please call Marisol Cristobal-Lucas at (719) 587-3225 ext. 12

Punto de Vista Education/Outreach Language Project

This project provides English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adult immigrants in the San Luis Valley. The focus of this project is to serve as many adult ESL students as possible by coordinating times and places in order to eliminate the barriers of work, transportation, and other challenges. Depending on available funding, we also offer citizenship classes as often as possible. Through ESL and citizenship education, immigrants are empowered to become active participants in their community.

The Punto de Vista program also provides tutoring services to approximately 20 school age children four days per week at the Alamosa Migrant Housing complex Tierra Nueva, where they are assisted in completing their schoolwork during the school year.

For more information, call Mr. Phillip Archuleta at 719-480-4318.

Food Pantry

SLV Immigrant Resource Center offers a food pantry to help immigrant families. On average, SLV IRC has been able to serve approximately 50-80 households monthly. Individuals need to register for the pantry and meet eligibility requirements. IRC distributes food every Friday and Monday. The pantry contains non-perishable products such as canned vegetables, pasta, oil, Maseca, beans, rice, salt, and other essential products. Seeing people’s faces with a smile when they receive the food provided is very heartwarming. SLVIRC plans to continue providing these foods monthly depending on available funding.

We are accepting donations for:

Maseca
Flour
Cooking oil
Pinto beans and black beans
Sugar
Salt
Cereal
Peanut butter
Jelly
Tuna
Spaghetti pasta and Mexican pasta
Lentils
Rice

Individuals can donate and specify it for the food pantry, in which those funds would be used to purchase items for the food pantry.

Drivers’ License SB-251

The Colorado Road and Community Safety Act passed by the Colorado legislature in 2013 allows all Coloradans to obtain a standard driver’s license or I.D. card, regardless of immigration status, as long as they meet all requirements and provide proof of identity and Colorado residency.

SLVIRC offers assistance and information on how to obtain your driver’s license. Assisting with:

Filling out the Request for Colorado Tax return.
Making DMV Appointments for first-time and renewals,
Reviewing your documents to take to your appointment.

This service is completely free of charge.

ITIN

An Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to help individuals comply with U.S. tax laws if they do not have a Social Security number regardless of their immigration status. ITINs do not serve any purpose other than federal tax reporting. SLVIRC can provide information and assist individuals who need to apply for an ITIN or renew their existing ITIN.

Consular Appointments

SLVIRC offers assistance and information on how to schedule consular appointments, specifically with the Guatemalan and Mexican consulates.