Acacia Center for Justice

What Acacia Center for Justice does

Acacia Center for Justice is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, non-governmental organization founded in 2023 that administers publicly-funded immigration legal defense programs for immigrants at risk of detention or deportation. It operates a national network of 130+ legal service providers spanning 160+ offices across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, delivering services inside immigration courts, ICE detention facilities, and community settings through nine core programs: the Unaccompanied Children Program (UCP), Legal Orientation Program for Custodians (LOPC), Counsel for Children Initiative (CCI), National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP), Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP), Children's Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH), Legal Orientation Program for Detained Adults (LOP), and Legal Access Services for Reunified Families (LASRF), plus the Witness for Justice court observation initiative and rapid-response efforts including the National Immigration Legal Responders Alliance and Habeas Bridge Project.

The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-powered through its provider network, supplemented by digital content (website, social media, Know Your Rights resources) for public education and case-finding. Its business model is structured as a fiscal and programmatic intermediary: Acacia secures federal contracts from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (DOJ) and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS), along with California state funding for CHIRP and philanthropic grants, and distributes the majority of those funds to legal service providers. In FY2024 it distributed $291M to its network, retaining approximately 11% for organizational overhead and central program administration.

Acacia's target beneficiaries span five distinct segments: unaccompanied children in ORR custody, detained adults with serious mental health conditions, ICE-detained adults, families in expedited removal proceedings, and California-based unaccompanied children needing holistic services. Reported outcomes include a 94% court attendance rate among children with counsel. Revenue is not client-generated — services are delivered at no cost to immigrants — making institutional funder relationships the central commercial dependency of the organization.

Name

Acacia Center for Justice

Legal name

Acacia Center for Justice

Website

https://acaciajustice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Acacia Center for Justice is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that administers federal and philanthropic funding through a national network of 130+ legal service providers, delivering immigration legal defense programs to immigrants at risk of detention or deportation across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Law (BPAHAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Immigrant advocacy
• Legal aid programs
• Legal representation
• Nonprofit legal defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Contracts: Acacia receives federal funding through contracts with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to administer legal orientation and representation programs. The organization distributed $291M in FY2024 through its network of legal service providers.
2. Philanthropic/Grant Funding: The organization receives grants and donations from foundations and individual donors to support its mission and expand legal defense programs for immigrants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Acacia Center for Justice administers a national portfolio of publicly funded immigration legal defense programs on behalf of immigrants at risk of detention or deportation. Through a network of more than 130 legal service providers operating in 160+ offices, it delivers direct legal representation, court-based legal orientation, and holistic social services to unaccompanied children, detained adults, families on expedited dockets, and individuals with mental health conditions. The organization secures federal contracts (EOIR, ORR) and philanthropic grants and distributes funds to its provider network to operate programs in immigration courts, ICE detention facilities, and community settings.

Product overview

Acacia Center for Justice operates a platform of interconnected legal defense programs for immigrants at risk of detention or deportation. The portfolio includes nine core programs: the Unaccompanied Children Program (UCP), Legal Orientation Program for Custodians (LOPC), Counsel for Children Initiative (CCI), National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP), Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP), Children's Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH), Legal Orientation Program for Detained Adults (LOP), and Legal Access Services for Reunified Families (LASRF). These programs work together through a network of over 130 legal service providers nationwide to deliver legal representation, orientation, and support services across different populations (children, detained adults, families) and settings (courts, detention facilities, communities). Additional initiatives include Witness for Justice (court observation), the National Immigration Legal Responders Alliance, and the Habeas Bridge Project for rapid response to enforcement actions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Witness For Justice: A volunteer-powered initiative that trains people across the country to observe immigration court proceedings and report on what they see.

Products and services

• Unaccompanied Children Program (UCP) Provides legal representation to unaccompanied children in and released from ORR custody through a network of nearly 100 legal service providers, ensuring children attend court hearings and are protected from trafficking, abuse, and exploitation.
• Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children (LOPC) Provides information and legal orientations to custodians of unaccompanied children, educating them about their responsibilities to ensure children's court appearance and protection from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking.
• Counsel for Children Initiative (CCI) Provides attorneys to children forced to appear in immigration court without representation, ensuring vulnerable children do not go through court proceedings alone.
• National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP) Provides publicly funded attorneys in immigration court to detained, unrepresented non-citizens who are incompetent to represent themselves due to serious mental health conditions, as mandated by the Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder settlement.
• Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP) Provides court-based legal education to families on expedited dockets and those in ICE's Alternatives to Detention or Family Expedited Removal programs, informing them about court practices, legal options, and procedural requirements.
• Children's Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP) Provides holistic legal representation paired with social services support to unaccompanied children in California, integrating attorney and social worker teams to address legal, education, mental health, medical, food, and housing needs.
• Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) Provides court-based legal education for non-detained individuals in immigration proceedings, offering information about court practices, legal options, and pro bono attorney referrals through in-person sessions at immigration courts.
• Legal Orientation Program for Detained Adults (LOP) Educates adults detained by ICE on their legal rights, how to request release from custody, and how to advocate for themselves in court proceedings, ensuring due process in the immigration removal process.
• Legal Access Services for Reunified Families (LASRF) Provides legal information, consultations, and advice to class members of the Ms. L. Settlement Agreement, assisting reunified families in preparing for immigration hearings and connecting them with pro bono attorneys.
• Witness for Justice Volunteer-powered court observation initiative that trains people to observe immigration court proceedings and document what they see, promoting public accountability and transparency while amplifying voices and stories of immigrants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of children with counsel attend their immigration hearings
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Legal Service Provider NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcacia partners with over 130 legal service providers nationwide to deliver legal defense programs for immigrants. The network includes organizations such as Catholic Charities of multiple archdioceses, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, Immigration Center for Women and Children, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and many others operating in immigration courts and detention facilities across the country.
• Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)coreOthersFederal agency that funds and oversees care for unaccompanied children. Acacia administers the Unaccompanied Children Program under requirements set out under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA) and requirements outlined by HHS.
• Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)coreOthersFederal agency within the Department of Justice that administers immigration courts. EOIR contracts with Acacia to operate programs including the Legal Orientation Program, LASRF, and other legal access programs.
• Witness for Justice Volunteer NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer-powered initiative that trains people across the country to observe immigration court proceedings and report on what they see. Collaborates with local legal service providers to strengthen court observation and monitoring efforts.
• Pro Bono Attorney NetworkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of volunteer attorneys who provide pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied children and other immigrants. Includes recruitment, placement, and mentorship of legal fellows and attorneys to introduce new lawyers into the field.
• California State Partners (CHIRP)majorOthersPartnership with California state programs to fund the Children's Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), supporting unaccompanied children with integrated legal and social services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society): International refugee resettlement and immigration legal services organization serving refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced populations. Comparable to Acacia in mission orientation, federal grant funding, and national service delivery model.
• Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project: Arizona-based nonprofit providing free immigration legal services to detained adults and children, including in detention facilities. Directly comparable to Acacia's detained adult and unaccompanied children programs, though regional in scope.
• Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES): Texas-based nonprofit providing immigration legal services to refugees and immigrants, including unaccompanied children. Directly comparable as a federally funded immigration legal services provider, though operationally more regional than Acacia's national scope.
• Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP): Regional nonprofit providing immigration legal services across the Pacific Northwest and a member of Acacia's provider network. Directly comparable on mission and service delivery, though at a smaller regional scale.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC): National nonprofit that supports a network of Catholic-affiliated immigration legal service providers through training, capacity building, and program administration. Directly comparable to Acacia as a federally funded national administrator of immigration legal defense programs.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): National nonprofit focused specifically on providing legal representation to unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings. Directly comparable to Acacia's Unaccompanied Children Program, Counsel for Children Initiative, and CHIRP, with overlapping federal funding sources and provider network model.

Broad incumbents

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National advocacy and legal support organization focused on low-income immigrants' rights through impact litigation, policy analysis, and training. Overlaps with Acacia on immigration policy advocacy and training of legal service providers, though NILC primarily engages in advocacy and litigation rather than direct representation administration.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Major criminal and immigration justice nonprofit that operates and funds programs aimed at ensuring due process and reducing detention. Broader than Acacia in scope (criminal justice, policing reform, immigration) but operates overlapping immigration defense programs and federal contract administration capacity.

Regional players

• Americans for Immigrant Justice: Florida-based nonprofit providing immigration legal services and advocacy, formerly known as Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. Comparable to Acacia in service delivery model and federal contract funding, though primarily serving Florida and the Southeast.

Emerging players

• Immigration Advocates Network: Nonprofit collaborative that provides technology, training, and resources to immigration legal service providers nationally, including ImmiCase tools and resource directories. Comparable to Acacia in supporting the national immigration legal aid ecosystem, though focused on technology enablement rather than direct representation administration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acacia-center-for-justice
• Instagraminstagram.com/acaciajustice
• TikToktiktok.com/acaciajustice
• Xx.com/AcaciaJustice
• Facebookfacebook.com/acaciacenterforjustice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Acacia Center for Justice