National Immigration Law Center

What National Immigration Law Center does

National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a regional office in Los Angeles, dedicated to advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones in the United States. The organization pursues its mission through four interlocking functions: impact litigation (including active cases such as NILC v. ICE), federal and state policy advocacy, public education via multilingual Know Your Rights resources and toolkits, and community organizing through its Take Action platform and the Education for All coalition of 35 organizations. NILC also operates the Freedom to Thrive podcast (now in Season 2) as a narrative-change vehicle and is affiliated with the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund, a sister 501(c)(4)-style social welfare organization.

NILC's core 'products' are content- and advocacy-driven rather than software products. They include an extensive Resource Library of policy briefs, toolkits, factsheets, and FAQs available in at least seven languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese Simplified and Traditional, Haitian Creole, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese); dedicated Know Your Rights materials covering ICE encounters, airport detentions, warrants, and bond hearings; vertical-specific resources for healthcare providers (ICE-custody patient advocacy) and higher-education institutions (tuition equity and campus enforcement guidance); and the Freedom to Thrive podcast hosted by Hector Flores. Distribution runs through nilc.org, act.nilc.org, donate.nilc.org, podcast listening platforms, email/newsletter, social media, and direct referral to legal service providers.

The organization's revenue model is exclusively donation-based, with no fees charged for services. Nine distinct donation streams are operationalized: one-time gifts, monthly recurring giving, stock gifts, cryptocurrency donations (50+ coins), legacy/bequest planning, IRA qualified charitable distributions, cy pres awards from class action settlements, donor-advised fund grants, and employer matching gifts. Federal tax ID 95-4539765. The donor and beneficiary bases are horizontally diversified across multiple persona segments — low-income immigrants, DACA recipients, TPS holders, undocumented students, healthcare providers, and green card holders — and NILC partners with peer legal organizations (Amica Center for Immigrants Rights, National Immigration Project), labor and education coalitions (AFT, Presidents' Alliance, CLASP), and a broader 35+ organization coalition network.

Name

National Immigration Law Center

Legal name

National Immigration Law Center

Website

https://nilc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

National Immigration Law Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization that advances the rights of low-income immigrants through impact litigation, federal and state policy advocacy, multilingual Know Your Rights resources, and community organizing in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Rights Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Law (BPAHAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education (EDAAADAB), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Digital Access & Online Government Services for Immigrants (EDAAADAF)

Keywords

• Immigration legal advocacy
• Immigrant rights policy
• Know your rights
• Nonprofit legal services
• Immigration policy reform

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: NILC accepts one-time gifts and monthly recurring donations from individual supporters through their website donation portal. Monthly giving is promoted as a way to sustain ongoing work.
2. Monthly Giving Program: Recurring monthly donations provide sustainable funding for NILC's advocacy work. Donors can set up recurring contributions through the website.
3. Stock Donations: NILC accepts stock gifts as a tax-efficient way for donors to contribute appreciated securities.
4. Cryptocurrency Donations: NILC accepts over 50 different cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and various altcoins. Cryptocurrency donations are tax-efficient as they are non-taxable events.
5. Legacy Giving: Planned giving and bequest options allow donors to include NILC in their estate planning.
6. IRA Charitable Contributions: Donors can make qualified charitable distributions from their IRAs to NILC.
7. Cy Pres Awards: NILC receives cy pres awards from class action settlements where the organization is a designated recipient.
8. Donor-Advised Funds: NILC accepts donations through donor-advised funds, allowing donors to recommend grants from their DAF accounts.
9. Employee Matching Gifts: NILC participates in employer matching gift programs, allowing donors to double their impact when their employer matches contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Immigration Law Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants through impact litigation, federal and state policy advocacy, public education, and community organizing. It provides free multilingual Know Your Rights resources, hosts the Freedom to Thrive podcast, runs a Take Action advocacy platform, and pursues strategic litigation such as NILC v. ICE challenging unlawful removals.

Product overview

National Immigration Law Center is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that advances the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants. The organization operates as a resource and advocacy hub rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings include the Freedom to Thrive Podcast for narrative change, a comprehensive Resource Library of toolkits and policy briefs, multilingual Know Your Rights materials, the Higher Education Toolkit for immigrant students, and Health Care Advocacy Resources for providers. NILC also engages in impact litigation such as NILC v. ICE, operates a Take Action platform for supporter advocacy, and maintains a Donation Portal for fundraising. These products and services work together to provide legal education, policy advocacy, and community empowerment for immigrant populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freedom to Thrive Podcast A narrative storytelling podcast series featuring immigrants, artists, activists, and changemakers sharing stories about building solidarity and advancing pro-immigrant narratives. Hosted by Hector Flores in Season 2 and Victoria Ballesteros in Season 1, with guests including Pulitzer Prize winners and Grammy Award artists. Aimed at the general public, supporters, and immigrant communities.
• Multilingual Know Your Rights Resource Library A free, comprehensive online library of expert-curated guides, toolkits, policy briefs, reports, factsheets, and FAQs covering immigration issues including DACA, TPS, border policy, driver's licenses, education, health care, workers' rights, and enforcement. Available in multiple languages including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Haitian Creole, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Aimed at immigrants, advocates, and community organizations.
• Higher Education Toolkit for Immigrant Students A comprehensive toolkit providing resources for students, advocates, and legislators on improving access to in-state tuition, financial aid, and scholarships for immigrant students, including state-by-state analysis of tuition equity laws. Aimed at undocumented students, advocates, and state legislators.
• Health Care Advocacy Resources for Immigrant Patients Resource for healthcare providers on advocating for patients in immigration custody, including guidance on navigating ICE encounters, patient rights, HIPAA compliance, civil and criminal custody rules, and detention standards. Aimed at hospitals, medical staff, and social workers.
• NILC v. ICE FOIA Litigation Impact litigation challenging ICE's failure to produce records related to unlawful removals of people with pending immigration cases, stays of deportation, and court-ordered protections. Filed as a FOIA lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, with co-counsel Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and the National Immigration Project. Aimed at affected immigrants and the broader immigration rights community.
• Take Action Advocacy Platform Online advocacy platform enabling supporters to contact members of Congress, sign petitions (such as the Dream and Promise Act discharge petition), and take action on immigration policy issues including ICE accountability, TPS, and DACA protections. Aimed at individual supporters and advocates.
• NILC Donation Program Charitable donation program supporting NILC's advocacy work, accepting one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, stock donations, IRA charitable contributions, cryptocurrency (over 50 coins), donor-advised fund gifts, cy pres awards, planned giving, and employer matching gifts. Aimed at individual donors and institutional funders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 states + DC have tuition equity policies benefiting approximately 98,000 undocumented graduates annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and flagship.

• Amica Center for Immigrants RightscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2026Co-plaintiff and co-counsel in NILC v. ICE FOIA lawsuit challenging ICE's failure to produce records related to unlawful removals of people with pending immigration cases, stays of deportation, and court-ordered protection.
• National Immigration ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2026Co-plaintiff and co-counsel in NILC v. ICE FOIA lawsuit challenging ICE's failure to produce records related to unlawful removals of people with pending immigration cases, stays of deportation, and court-ordered protection.
• American Federation of TeacherskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create guidance for higher education institutions on responding to immigration enforcement on campus and protecting rights of immigrant students and employees.
• Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and ImmigrationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to develop guidelines for higher education institutions on immigration enforcement response and protecting immigrant student and employee rights.
• CLASPkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create Know Your Rights resources for parents detained by ICE, providing guidance on what parents should know if detained.
• NILC Immigrant Justice FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization of NILC, a nonprofit social welfare and advocacy organization. NILC shares individual information with this organization to assist in carrying out its mission. Donors may be contacted by the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund. The Immigrant Justice Fund operates at immigrantjusticefund.org.
• Education for All CoalitionkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 35 organizations led by NILC to protect access to K-12 public education for all children regardless of immigration status.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services): Major nonprofit offering free and low-cost immigration legal services and education. Direct peer to NILC as a frontline immigrant rights legal services organization with a focus on detention and family separation.
• Amica Center for Immigrants Rights: Nonprofit providing legal representation and advocacy for immigrants in detention. Co-counsel with NILC on NILC v. ICE and a direct comparable in immigrant rights litigation and detention-focused legal services.
• CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Network): National nonprofit providing immigration legal services, education, and advocacy. Comparable to NILC in scale and scope of immigration legal aid and policy work, with overlapping pro bono network and Know Your Rights mission.
• United We Dream: Largest immigrant youth-led network in the U.S. advocating for DACA and TPS protections. Closely comparable to NILC on DACA advocacy and movement-building, though organized as a 501(c)(3) with a stronger youth organizing focus.
• CLASP (Center for Law and Social Policy): National anti-poverty policy organization addressing immigrant access to benefits. Already partnered with NILC on Know Your Rights resources for parents detained by ICE, with overlapping policy advocacy on public charge and immigrant family stability.
• Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration: Coalition of college and university leaders advancing immigrant-inclusive higher education policies. Already a NILC partner on the higher education toolkit and directly comparable in education-focused immigrant policy advocacy.
• National Immigration Project (NIPNLG): National membership organization of immigration lawyers providing legal support, training, and impact litigation. Already a co-counsel partner with NILC on the NILC v. ICE FOIA case and operates in the same immigration litigation space.

Broad incumbents

• ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project: National civil liberties organization with a dedicated immigrants' rights practice pursuing impact litigation and policy advocacy. Operates in the same immigration legal/policy space as NILC but with vastly larger resources and a broader civil rights mandate.
• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): National bar association of immigration attorneys with 16,000+ members. Comparable as a major immigration legal industry voice, but focused on practitioner advocacy rather than direct client services or social justice framing.
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): Civil rights nonprofit with deep immigrant justice litigation and advocacy work. Comparable to NILC in litigation and immigrant rights mission, though operating with a wider civil rights portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nilc_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalimmigrationlawcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-immigration-law-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Immigration Law Center