Immigrant Defense Project
Immigrant Defense Project is a New York-based 501(c)(3) that provides free legal helpline services, litigation, policy advocacy, and community education at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems, serving at-risk noncitizens, criminal defense attorneys, and New York courts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Immigrant Defense Project does
Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) is a New York-based nonprofit advocacy organization operating at the intersection of the criminal legal and immigration systems. Founded around 1997 and reorganized into its current 501(c)(3) form circa 2010, IDP is fiscally sponsored by the Fund for the City of New York and runs programs in litigation, policy advocacy, community defense, a free legal hotline, a Padilla Support Center for post-conviction relief, and narrative change work. Its primary beneficiaries are noncitizens facing or at risk of deportation (including those with criminal convictions), with secondary audiences of criminal defense attorneys, family court practitioners, judges, and prosecutors.
IDP's core "products" are knowledge artifacts and platforms rather than commercial software. Flagship assets include the Know Your Rights with ICE training program, the ICE Raids Toolkit (a 57-page guide plus 209 pages of FOIA appendices, co-developed with the Center for Constitutional Rights), the Train-the-Trainer workshop curriculum, the ICEwatch map documenting 650+ ICE raids across New York State, and the newly launched NY ICE Collusion Watch interactive mapping platform. Underlying technology is conventional: FOIA litigation tracking, interactive web maps, and multilingual content distribution in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. There are no AI/ML components, APIs, or proprietary software disclosed.
The revenue model is donation-driven. IDP accepts individual donations (including monthly giving and employer matching), conducts event-based fundraising (including as an official charity of the TCS New York City Marathon), and has begun introducing paid CLE training and advisory services for private attorneys. All direct community services — hotline, Know Your Rights presentations, toolkits — are free. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. IDP is supported by a dense coalition of 70+ advocacy organizations and 12 major labor unions, with core standing partnerships with NYU School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic, Make the Road New York, Families for Freedom, Surveillance Resistance Lab, Vera Institute of Justice, and The Bronx Defenders.
Immigrant Defense Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Immigrant Defense Project
- Legal name
- Immigrant Defense Project
- Website
- https://immigrantdefenseproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Immigrant Defense Project is a New York-based 501(c)(3) that provides free legal helpline services, litigation, policy advocacy, and community education at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems, serving at-risk noncitizens, criminal defense attorneys, and New York courts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Immigrant Defense Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Immigrant Legal Advocacy Services
- 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)
Keywords
Where Immigrant Defense Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Immigrant Defense Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: IDP operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization fiscally sponsored by the Fund for the City of New York. Revenue comes from individual donations, monthly giving programs, and matching employer programs. Federal Tax ID: 13-2612524.
- Event-based Fundraising: The organization conducts fundraising events including being an official charity partner of the TCS New York City Marathon. Community supporters have organized various fundraisers including football events and directed wedding gifts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Free services for community members |
| Subscription | Annual | Fee-based services for private attorneys |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Immigrant Defense Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that protects and advances the rights of immigrants at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems. It delivers a free multilingual legal helpline, Know Your Rights education, community defense organizing, impact litigation, and policy advocacy. It also trains and supports criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges on immigration consequences through its Padilla Support Center.
Product overview
The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) is a national nonprofit advocacy organization that offers a portfolio of programs and resources focused on defending immigrant rights at the intersection of immigration and criminal law. The organization operates multiple integrated programs including a Hotline for free legal assistance, Litigation services, Policy & Advocacy, Community Defense organizing, and a Padilla Support Center. Key products include the Know Your Rights with ICE training program and Train-the-Trainer Workshops that equip advocates to deliver rights education. The ICE Raids Toolkit provides comprehensive guides for community defense, while the NY ICE Collusion Watch is an interactive mapping platform tracking ICE and law enforcement collusion patterns. IDP also produces targeted legal resources such as the ICE Detainer FAQ, Criminal Court Documents Guide, and U.S. v. Minter resources addressing specific immigration consequences of criminal convictions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- ICE Out campaign resulted in ICE leaving Rikers Island in 2015 after decades of presence
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Immigrant Defense Project
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Immigrant Defense Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Immigrant Defense Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Surveillance Resistance LabcoreCollaboration on December 2024 Train-the-Trainer webinar about ICE surveillance, policing, and rights during ICE encounters. Jointly led training on how ICE operates and collects information.
- Make the Road New YorkcoreJoint collaboration on December 2024 Know Your Rights Train-the-Trainer webinar. Partner in developing resources including 'What Type of Immigration Case' guide.
- Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR)coreJoint development of the ICE Raids Toolkit - the first comprehensive guide and organizing resource to fight back against ICE arrests. CCR and IDP collaborated under Bush and Obama administrations to create this resource, updated through 2019.
- Families for FreedomcoreLong-standing partner in ICE Out campaigns and community defense organizing. Co-developed resources and advocacy around ICE-police collaboration issues.
- Black Alliance for Just ImmigrationcoreCollaboration on exposing collusion between Department of Corrections and ICE through email releases. Joint advocacy on intersection of racial justice and immigration.
- New York for All CoalitioncoreCoalition of immigrant rights organizations advocating for the New York for All Act to prohibit local law enforcement collusion with ICE and CBP.
- ICE Out! NYC CoalitioncoreCoalition dedicated to keeping ICE out of New York City and Rikers Island. Led campaigns to pass Safer Sanctuary Act and block ICE return to Rikers.
- NYU School of Law Immigrant Rights CliniccoreLong-standing legal collaboration including joint reports on detention and deportation practices in NYC, and Padilla judicial obligations report.
- Defending Immigrants PartnershipcoreNational collaboration of immigration advocacy and defense organizations working on post-conviction relief and Padilla advisals across the country.
- Center for Urban PedagogyminorCollaboration on Spanish-language community guide 'El Poder de Prepararse' about preparing for potential ICE arrest, detention, and immigration court proceedings.
- Fund for the City of New YorkcoreIDP's fiscal sponsor - a 501(c)(3) organization that provides administrative and financial infrastructure. Federal Tax ID: 13-2612524.
- 12 Major Labor Unions (including DC 37, 32BJ SEIU, 1199SEIU, NYSNA, CWA, UAW)coreCoalition of labor unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers supporting NY for All Act advocacy. Unites organized labor with immigrant rights movement.
- Vera Institute of JusticeminorCollaboration on universal representation initiative and policy advocacy around immigration enforcement and state resources.
- The Bronx DefendersminorPartner in advocacy coalition supporting immigrant defense and due process protections in New York.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Immigrant Defense Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Network): National network providing immigration legal services, training, and capacity building for Catholic Charities and affiliates; comparable to IDP's training and resource development for immigration practitioners.
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): National civil liberties organization with active immigrants' rights project that engages in impact litigation and advocacy on issues closely aligned with IDP's criminal-immigration and due process work.
- National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National immigrant rights legal organization conducting impact litigation and policy advocacy; broader portfolio and budget than IDP but directly comparable on immigration law and policy work.
- Vera Institute of Justice: National criminal justice reform organization collaborating with IDP on universal representation; overlapping focus on immigrant detention and criminal-immigration policy but with much broader scope.
Direct peers
- The Bronx Defenders: Holistic public defense provider in New York that integrates immigration defense into criminal representation; overlapping client base and similar criminal-immigration intersection focus as IDP.
- Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI): National racial justice and immigrant rights organization that partners with IDP on exposing DOC-ICE collusion; comparable in combining movement advocacy with policy and narrative work.
- Make the Road New York: New York-based immigrant and workers' rights organization co-leading Know Your Rights Train-the-Trainer work with IDP; serves overlapping immigrant community base with combined legal services and organizing.
- Families for Freedom: NYC-based immigrant-led organizing group with long-standing ICE Out partnership with IDP; comparable in serving directly affected families and running anti-detention campaigns.
- Center for Constitutional Rights: National human rights and immigration litigation organization that co-developed IDP's flagship ICE Raids Toolkit; closely aligned in advocacy, litigation, and movement-lawyering model.
Emerging players
- Surveillance Resistance Lab: Smaller organization focused on surveillance and policing issues that co-led IDP's December 2024 Train-the-Trainer webinar; adjacent niche that increasingly overlaps with IDP's ICE enforcement work.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
Immigrant Defense Project social profiles
Digital presenceImmigrant Defense Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Immigrant Defense Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Immigrant Defense Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Immigrant Defense Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Immigrant Defense Project
What does Immigrant Defense Project do?
Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that protects and advances the rights of immigrants at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems. It delivers a free multilingual legal helpline, Know Your Rights education, community defense organizing, impact litigation, and policy advocacy. It also trains and supports criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges on immigration consequences through its Padilla Support Center.
Is Immigrant Defense Project a public or private company?
Immigrant Defense Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Immigrant Defense Project founded?
Immigrant Defense Project was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Immigrant Defense Project based?
Immigrant Defense Project is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Immigrant Defense Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are event-based Fundraising.
Who are Immigrant Defense Project's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Network), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and Vera Institute of Justice. Direct peers are The Bronx Defenders, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), Make the Road New York, Families for Freedom and Center for Constitutional Rights. Surveillance Resistance Lab is listed as an emerging player.
Does Immigrant Defense Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Immigrant Defense Project.
What industry is Immigrant Defense Project in?
Immigrant Defense Project's product category is Immigrant Legal Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAL, Immigration Law, with a secondary code of EDAAADAB, Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education. Its SIC code is 8111.