New Mobile Legal Clinic in Albany

After a long planning process that included consultations with representatives from the immigrant community in Linn and Benton Counties, ICS is pleased to announce the opening of the Albany Clinic, a new mobile legal clinic starting in January. In partnership with the Community Services Consortium of Linn County and Linn County Rapid Response Coalition (LCRRC), the Albany Clinic will be offered monthly for legal consultations to naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, visa holders, and those who lack legal status and are at risk of deportation. The Albany Clinic is the only option for no or low-cost immigrant legal services in this area, where 12% of adult residents identify as Latino. The Albany Clinic is supported through fundraising by LCRRC and a generous grant from the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funders Collaborative, a consortium of five local grantmakers dedicated to a coordinated and collaborative funding approach to address issues impacting immigrants and refugees. The Albany Clinic is part of an expanded effort by ICS to enhance legal services to immigrants living in rural areas of Oregon.      We are pleased to be one of 152 outstanding nonprofits to participate in this year’s Give! Guide sponsored by Willamette Week. Each week, Give! Guide supporters will be entered to win raffles, and anyone who donates $10 or more to a participating charity will be gifted a Chinook Book access code for free and discounted products and services.

Awards and Honors

      Each year, the Oregon Chapter of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) holds a Gala Benefit Dinner to benefit nonprofit immigrant legal service providers, including ICS. At the October 24th event, ICS Board member, Nicole Nelson, was presented with the Gerald H. Robinson Excellence in Advocacy Award. We are grateful for the supportive partnership with AILA and congratulate Nicole on her well-deserved honor.      At the annual meeting of the Oregon New Lawyers Division of the Oregon State Bar Association, ICS Attorney, MariRuth Petzing, was presented with the Public Service Award for her outstanding efforts, dedication, and commitment to serving Oregon’s immigrant community. MariRuth is the Managing Attorney for our Hood River Office. We couldn't think of a better way to honor MariRuth's tireless efforts on behalf of Oregon immigrants!

New Faces at ICS

      ICS Expands Board of DirectorsWe are pleased to welcome new Board Member, Daniel Nguyen, Founder and CEO of Bambuza Hospitality Group, an airport restaurant and retail concessions company headquartered in Portland. The son of Vietnam War refugees, Daniel has a strong background in economic development, business administration, and hospitality management. Daniel is active in public service and was recently elected City Councilor in Lake Oswego.      Meet Our Newest Paralegal!ICS is pleased to welcome Ana Sofia to the ICS Legal Team as our newest paralegal. Ana Sofia graduated from the University of Oregon Honors College as an international Studies and Spanish double major, and is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. She will be working with our attorneys to assist over 1700 immigrants with a wide range of legal needs.      Meet Our New Client Coordinator!We are also pleased to welcome Ricardo Ramirez Campos as our new Client Coordinator. Ricardo comes from an immigrant farm working family from Yakima and is looking forward to helping ICS clients navigate legal services. He previously worked at SOAR.