Resources for TPS Holders

How to find an immigration lawyer, secure financial or food aid, get transportation help, and learn your rights.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed the Trump administration to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of people with legal status in the United States. This decision leaves tens of thousands of Haitians and Syrians in Massachusetts vulnerable to deportation.

Here are some resources to help those in Massachusetts impacted by the revocation of TPS. Resources shared on this page do not constitute ACLU of Massachusetts referrals, legal advice, or the endorsement of particular attorneys.

Book a consultation

For immigration consultations in the Greater Boston area, visit:

The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, which offers free one-time immigration consultations on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.: https://www.boston.gov/departments/immigrant-advancement/free-immigration-consultations\
Rian Immigrant Center: https://www.riancenter.org/what/immigration-legal-services/clinics/ or call 617-542-7654, option 1 and leave a message to be scheduled for a TPS-related consultation.
Catholic Charities of Boston: https://www.ccab.org/refugee-immigrant-services/
Greater Boston Legal Services: call (617) 371-1234 Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or visit https://www.gbls.org/get-legal-help

For questions and legal assistance, visit:

The Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) Free Immigration Legal Helpdesk: current or former recipients of TPS can schedule a 1 to 2 hour appointment with an immigration attorney to discuss questions or concerns by filling out this form https://forms.office.com/g/tYzYHCE0Yi

For questions related to immigration law and employment, visit:

Pathway for Immigrant Workers: https://www.myimmigrantpathway.org/

Find a lawyer

To find an immigration attorney, consult:

Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder at: https://masslrf.org/en/triage/start/immigration
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): https://www.ailalawyer.com/default.aspx?LanguageId=english

For detained and non-detained people who are in removal proceedings, request free legal representation in immigration court using the Massachusetts Access to Counsel website: https://miracoalition.org/massachusetts-massachusetts-access-to-counsel-initiative-maci/ or call (508) 505-4588.

Resources are available in English, Haitian Creole, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Cape Verdean, Russian, French, Khmer, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese.

To check whether an attorney has faced any disciplinary action (such as for unethical behavior), use the Board of Bar Overseers ‘Look Up an Attorney’ search feature: https://www.massbbo.org/s/

Find general support

For car rides, legal referrals, support in court, help with paperwork, and help with bond payments, contact the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN): https://www.beyondbondboston.org/ or call 617-396-7143

For emergency financial assistance, contact the United Way’s United Response Fund: https://unitedwaymassbay.org/united-response

For emergency food assistance, call or text Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline: 1-800-645-8333 or use the ‘Live Chat’ feature at https://projectbread.org/foodsource-hotline

Hotline hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Make plans for your family

Read the attorney general’s Emergency Planning Guide for Parents with Uncertain Immigration Status: https://www.mass.gov/doc/emergency-planning-guide-for-parents-with-uncertain-immigration-status/download?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WBUR+Today_Editorial_071426&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.mass.gov%2fdoc%2femergency-planning-guide-for-parents-with-uncertain-immigration-status%2fdownload&utm_id=218464&sfmc_id=29156351

Make a plan for your family and learn what their rights are: https://www.aclum.org/know-your-rights/know-your-rights-family-preparedness-plan/

Report ICE activity in your community

If you notice Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, you can alert the Luce Defense Hotline: 617-370-5023 or visit lucemass.org

The Luce hotline operates from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week across multiple languages: Spanish (ext 1), English (ext 2), Portuguese (ext 3), French (ext 4), Haitian Creole (ext 5), Mandarin (ext 6).