Published on March 31, 2026 Posted in Grantees

2025 Grantee Highlights: Immigration Services Providers

These six organizations work within the legal system to ensure that immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers have access to legal representation and education in immigration matters.

In 2025, NC IOLTA’s Board of Trustees awarded $12M in grants to more than 40 organizations dedicated to providing legal aid to low-income residents across the state and improving the administration of justice in North Carolina.

The organizations highlighted below — Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Carolina Migrant Network, Church World Service Greensboro, International House of Metrolina, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, and World Relief Durham — help immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers navigate legal pathways available under federal immigration law. By providing legal information and civil legal representation, these programs assist individuals in understanding their legal rights and responsibilities, promoting orderly processing of cases and public safety.

Last year, these organizations received a total of $325,000 in Civil Legal Aid grants, which provide basic access to the justice system for individuals, families and children residing in North Carolina. Read more about each grantee below.

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights advocates for the rights and safety of immigrant communities that often face the nation’s complex immigration system alone. The Center’s Immigration Impact Lab, established in 2010, litigates cases where children and adults in the immigration system experienced concrete harm, working to expand access to due process and legal protections for thousands of people with cases before immigration courts and agencies nationwide.

In 2025, Amica Center received a $55,000 Civil Legal Aid grant to support the Immigration Impact Lab’s representation of North Carolina residents.

Amica Center’s legal services and advocacy in 2025 resulted in:
Carolina Migrant Network

Carolina Migrant Network provides legal services and education for immigrants, empowering immigrant communities to participate in everyday and civic life. CMN provides free legal representation to people facing removal proceedings and in immigration detention facilities.

In 2025, NC IOLTA awarded CMN a $55,000 Civil Legal Aid grant to support immigration legal representation of North Carolina residents.

CMN’s legal services and advocacy in 2025 resulted in:
Church World Service Greensboro

Church World Service Greensboro provides legal services to support refugees, immigrants and asylum-seekers — including unaccompanied children — in the Piedmont Triad region as they rebuild their lives and seek residency, citizenship and family reunification. The nonprofit also provides an array of social and employment services. CWS Greensboro is affiliated with Church World Service Global, which seeks to address the impact of hunger and poverty, displacement and natural disasters throughout the world.

CWS Greensboro received a 2025 Civil Legal Aid grant of $50,000 to support the Immigration Legal Services program for North Carolina residents.

CWS’s legal services and advocacy in 2025 resulted in:
International House of Metrolina

International House of Metrolina is a nonprofit dedicated to helping immigrants and international culture thrive by enriching the lives of foreign-born and foreign-rooted community members in the greater Charlotte area — helping immigrants settle and succeed while also supporting local residents and businesses in connecting with people and cultures from around the world. The nonprofit’s Immigration Law Clinic serves low-income refugees, asylees and other immigrants in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Davidson, Gaston, Iredell, Rowan, Stanly, Lincoln and Union counties, nearly half of which are legal deserts.

IHM was awarded a $55,000 Civil Legal Aid grant in 2025 to support the work of the Immigration Law Clinic to serve North Carolina residents with cases including employment authorization, family-based petitions, naturalization, travel documents and temporary protected status.

IHM’s legal services and advocacy in 2025 resulted in:
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is a nongovernmental, international organization dedicated to addressing the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants. Working with its affiliates, USCRI provides legal, social and health services to refugees, unaccompanied migrating children, trafficking survivors and other immigrants in all 50 states.

In 2025, USCRI received a $55,000 Civil Legal Aid grant from NC IOLTA to support the Humanitarian Legal Services program in North Carolina, which serves the legal needs of unaccompanied migrant children.

USCRI’s legal services and advocacy in 2025 resulted in:
World Relief Durham

World Relief Durham works alongside churches, community organizations and individuals to serve the needs of refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations, offering a range of programs that equip refugees and other immigrants to resettle, rebuild their lives and integrate into the community.

In 2025, WR Durham was awarded a $55,000 Civil Legal Aid grant to support the Immigration Legal Services program in North Carolina, which predominantly serves the Triangle area and provides the direct services, training, referrals, advocacy and education many immigrants need on their path to security through stable immigration status.

WR Durham’s legal services and advocacy in 2025 resulted in:

Find highlights of other 2025 NC IOLTA grantees on our Grantees page.
Explore the impact NC IOLTA grantees make for their clients and communities on our Stories page.
Learn about the importance of civil legal aid on our Media Resources page under “FAQs About Civil Legal Aid in NC.”

Legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly on July 9, 2025, bars NC IOLTA from grantmaking from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Consistent with the legislation, our 2026 funding cycle has not been opened.

Learn more about NC IOLTA and find our most recent updates on this issue on our Media Resources page.

The NC State Bar and NC IOLTA continue to seek a resolution to preserve funding for civil legal aid, which plays a critical role in building a legal system that works for everyone, breaking down barriers and creating strong communities across North Carolina.

2025 Grantee Highlights: Immigration Services Providers

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