Tell your Congressional Representative to protect the R&A program!

What is the Recognition and Accreditation Program?

A federal initiative that expands immigrants’ access to qualified and trusted immigration legal advisors.

It allows qualified people who are not attorneys, but receive specialized training and undergo significant testing, to become authorized to deliver immigration legal services under federal oversight and with the support of Recognized Organizations.

The Program was created in the 1950s to ensure low-income immigrants have access to immigration legal services, in one of the most complex and consequential areas of civil law.

Why is the R+A Program important?

• improves efficiency in the immigration process
• reduces fraud
• lowers costs for the client and the government, making legal services affordable
• provides community-oriented legal advocacy
• guarantees quality service from professionals who undergo training, vetting, and licensing

Why is the R+A program at risk?

The DOJ is gutting the R+A program.

In March, they demoted almost all of the staff who worked in the R+A Program, leaving only a handful behind. However, CBS reports that these staff don’t have authority to approve applications.

Without these staff, new applications and renewals will be stalled for months - this puts organizations like the MICA Project at risk.