We’re both saddened and proud to announce that our Deputy Director and Co-Founder Nisha Agarwal is leaving CPD’s staff to launch a new initiative: the Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC).

The IJC will be the largest expansion of immigration legal assistance in New York City’s history. Inspired by Chief Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals, the IJC will have nearly 100 of the most talented young lawyers and college graduates serving nearly 15,000 individuals every year for legal matters, including naturalization, deportation defense, applications for asylum, and human trafficking.

“It’s a very simple concept, but it’s one that will not only ensure fairness for immigrants but will infuse our legal system with a generation of lawyers committed to serving those in need,” said Judge Katzmann in an article in the New York Times.

We will miss seeing Nisha daily in the CPD office, but she will not be far. We look forward to working closely with the IJC to ensure that immigration status is no longer a barrier to equity and opportunity.

IJC will begin its work in New York City and will offer a powerful model that can be scaled nationwide to fight poverty and improve access to justice for millions of new Americans and aspiring citizens.

Read more about the IJC here:  www.justicecorps.org.