El Rescate

What El Rescate does

El Rescate is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1981 by members of the Santana Chirino Amaya Refugee Committee and the Southern California Ecumenical Council as the first U.S. agency to respond with free legal and social services to refugees fleeing the Salvadoran civil war. Over a 45-year operating history the organization has served more than 500,000 people across 38 nationalities, primarily Latino immigrants in Los Angeles, delivering a comprehensive suite of immigration legal services — naturalization/N-400, DACA, TPS, asylum, VAWA self-petitions, U-Visa, SIJS for unaccompanied minors, family petitions, adjustment of status, NACARA, FOIA requests, and waivers — plus free weekly "Charlas" legal clinics, citizenship classes and test preparation, Know Your Rights workshops, and community defense organizing. In 2024 alone the organization reported 5,099 consultations, 1,243 court hearings, and roughly 12,000 total service interactions. Sliding-scale fees are priced 50-75% below private practice immigration attorneys.

The underlying technology is modest and mission-specific: a WordPress CMS plus a uniquely proprietary relational "Index to Accountability" (Indice Sobre La Responsabilidad) database built 1980-1992 linking Salvadoran military command structure to documented human rights violations. The Index was presented to the United Nations-backed Truth Commission and Ad Hoc Commission in 1992; the broader El Rescate archival Collection (1977-2016) was donated to the CSUN Oviatt Library Special Collections in 2019. The organization also operates a transnational partner organization, INSAMI, and a Clínica in El Salvador that delivers medical, psychological and business training services to returnees and deportees.

El Rescate's revenue model is a multi-stream non-profit mix: individual and organizational donations (with active campaigns such as "Stop Cruelty" and the "Dual Enrollment Webinar," tiered at $10/$25/$50/$100/custom, plus a $500 Index of Accountability access tier), sliding-scale professional-service fees for legal representation and paperwork filing, and grants from the State of California Department of Social Services, the California Wellness Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank (via El Salvador's FISDL), and others. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through a single physical office at 1605 W. Olympic Blvd. Suite 516, Los Angeles, supplemented by free in-person clinics, partner-hosted events, and a multilingual digital footprint (website, YouTube citizenship tutorial series covering all 128 USCIS 2025 test items in English and Spanish, plus Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and email). The organization received the Los Angeles County Human Relations Award in 2026 in recognition of its Immigrant Civic Empowerment & Legal Access program.

Name

El Rescate

Legal name

El Rescate Legal Services

Website

https://elrescate.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

El Rescate is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1981 that delivers sliding-scale immigration legal services — naturalization, asylum, VAWA, DACA, TPS, U-Visa and SIJS — primarily to Latino immigrants, supported by donations, grants and partner-hosted community outreach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAADAB

Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

SECONDARYEDAKADAF

English Language Learner (ELL/ESL) Academic Intervention

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Specialized Tutoring & Academic Intervention (Remediation)

SECONDARYEDAMAFAK

Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Language Learning & Conversation Programs

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Non-profit legal aid
• Asylum representation
• Citizenship and naturalization
• Human rights documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Primary revenue source. Accepts one-time and recurring donations from individuals and organizations. Active campaigns include "Stop Cruelty" and "Dual Enrollment Webinar." A $500 donation to the Index of Accountability grants access to historical documents that can assist in legal proceedings. Donation tiers include $10, $25, $50, $100 and custom amounts.
2. Legal Service Fees: El Rescate charges for legal representation and filing of paperwork. Services cost 50-75% less than private practice immigration services. Clients also pay most government processing fees. Fees are sliding-scale/non-profit rates.
3. Grants and Public Funding: Funding from the State of California Department of Social Services and from foundations including the California Wellness Foundation. Project-specific grants from the Inter-American Development Bank routed through El Salvador's FISDL. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Community Credit Union project grant. Rockefeller Foundation Community Remittance Productive Project Grant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

El Rescate is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers affordable immigration legal representation and educational programs to immigrants in the Los Angeles area. Its offerings include citizenship/naturalization, asylum, VAWA, DACA, U Visa, TPS, SIJS, family petitions, adjustment of status, and other immigration remedies, alongside free weekly legal clinics, citizenship classes, Know Your Rights workshops, and community outreach. Services are priced 50-75% below private practice rates and are delivered by BIA-accredited staff attorneys and representatives.

Product overview

El Rescate operates a single unified service portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules technology product: a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1981 that delivers immigration legal services through a core Legal Services offering, supplemented by specialized program modules (Asylum Program, VAWA Program, DACA Program, and Special Cases Legal Representation covering UAM, U Visa, and TPS adjustments), community-facing education and outreach (Legal Clinic "Charlas", Other Legal Services, Orientation Programs, Teatro Jornalero), accountability/historical resources (Index of Accountability, Historic Archives), and digital educational media (Know Your Rights Video Tutorials, Citizenship Tutorial Videos, and Dual Enrollment Webinar). The components fit together as direct-service legal programs, supported by community education and archival/research work, rather than as a technical product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clínica Msr. Óscar Romero: Free medical and dental services for refugees, established in 1983 (later became independent).
• INSAMI (Salvadoran Migrant Institute)
• Teatro Jornalero
• We the People

Products and services

• Legal Services Foundational immigration legal services — representation, consultations, and case handling — offered by El Rescate for low-income immigrants in Los Angeles, priced 50-75% below private immigration practices. Covers Family Petition, Adjustment of Status, Citizenship, Consultations, FOIA Requests, TPS Re-registration, NACARA, Motions to Reopen, Fiancé Visas, Waivers, Resident Card Renewal, and Work Permit Renewal.
• Asylum Program Legal representation for individuals seeking asylum in the United States based on past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution due to political opinion, race, religion, gender identity, nationality, or membership in a particular social group. Representation extends to appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals.
• VAWA Program Legal representation for immigrant men, women, and children who have been physically abused or subjected to extreme mental cruelty by a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident spouse or parent. Includes VAWA self-petitions for legal status, employment authorization, and access to health benefits.
• DACA Program Legal services supporting eligible undocumented youth (under 31 as of June 14, 2012, arrived before age 16, continuously present since June 15, 2007, with high school diploma or GED) with initial and renewal DACA applications, work authorization, and protection from removal. El Rescate has assisted over 1,000 DACA recipients.
• Special Cases Legal Representation Legal representation for special-case immigration matters including Unaccompanied Minors (UAM) eligible for SIJS due to abuse or neglect (since 2014 over 500 represented), U Visa applications for victims of qualifying crimes and their immediate family members, and TPS adjustments to legal permanent residency through U.S. citizen children.
• Legal Clinic "Charlas" Free weekly community legal clinic hosted at El Rescate on Wednesdays (2-5 PM) and some Saturdays (10-1 AM). Staff give an overview of current immigration legal issues, followed by brief legal consultations from staff and volunteer attorneys; by appointment only.
• Citizenship Classes and USCIS Application Support Citizenship classes and application support, including N-400 paperwork, fee waiver forms, and citizenship test preparation. Between August 2023 and January 2025, El Rescate completed and submitted 540 USCIS applications via its Citizenship Clinic and Know Your Rights workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 people served across 38 nationalities in four decades
• +7 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• INSAMI (Instituto Salvadoreño del Migrante / Salvadoran Migrant Institute)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Rescate's partner organization in El Salvador. INSAMI provides medical consults, psychological care, COVID-related assistance, business management training, political incidence, and project research to returnees and migrants. El Rescate supports INSAMI with donations, medical supplies, public policy guidance, and networking. Dr. Jizi Moza is Executive Director of INSAMI and the CLAIR Clinic.
• LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partner supporting outreach and citizenship promotion events. Listed in the homepage sponsor/partner logo wall.
• AFT – American Federation of TeacherscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational labor union listed as sponsor/partner. Co-sponsored the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair at LIUNA Local 300.
• CFT – A Union of Educators and Classified ProfessionalscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCalifornia-based labor union of educators and classified professionals. Sponsor/partner and co-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Community Fair.
• UTLA (United Teachers Los Angeles)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLos Angeles teachers' union. Co-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• SALEF (Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity-based organization serving the Salvadoran-American community. Co-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair; also met with INSAMI leadership during their Los Angeles visit.
• NALEO Educational FundcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational civic participation organization. Co-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional labor federation. Co-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLos Angeles-based immigrant rights organization. Listed as partner in homepage logo wall.
• Clínica Msr. Oscar A. Romero (Clínica Romero)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederally Qualified Health Center originally established by El Rescate in 1983 as Clínica Msr. Óscar Romero. Later became independent and continues serving the immigrant community. Co-sponsor of the 2024 Community Fair. Operational partner in cross-border medical services.
• City of Los AngelescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal government partner. Listed in the homepage sponsor/partner logo wall.
• CSUN (California State University Northridge) Oviatt Library Special CollectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn August 2019 El Rescate donated its historic archives (1977-2016) to CSUN Oviatt Library Special Collections. The collection is now available to students, scholars, war crimes investigators, and human rights organizations.
• Salvadoran Hometown Associations (HTAs) / COMUNIDADES / CUSflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Rescate's records reflect 62 HTAs in Southern California, 12 in San Francisco, 4 in Las Vegas, 9 in Houston and 20+ in the D.C. metro area. El Rescate has provided technical and financial assistance to HTAs since 1986, co-founded COMUNIDADES with nine California-based associations in 1994, and worked with FUCAD and IFAD on transnational development projects.
• IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations agency. El Rescate and IFAD have organized follow-up workshops with hometown associations from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Houston and FUCAD. Resulting agreements applied in San Vicente and Morazán departments.
• West LA CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution. Met with INSAMI/CLAIR Clinic leadership (Dr. Jizi Moza and Dr. Violeta López) during their Los Angeles visit in August 2025.
• City of Duarte, CaliforniaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal government partner. Met with INSAMI/CLAIR Clinic leadership during their August 2025 visit; medical supplies were donated and alliances established.
• Doctors Without Borders / International Committee of the Red Cross / International Rescue CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking partnerships with the CLAIR/INSAMI Clinic in El Salvador (established 2017) to provide medical and psychological services to returnees, deportees and families displaced by violence. Clinic assists 30-40 patients a month.
• FUCAD (Central American Foundation for Sustainable Human Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounterpart organization in El Salvador. El Rescate joined FUCAD in June 2001 to seek municipal government support for HTAs' development projects, leading to COMURES' unanimous approval of the Program for Permanent Support to Municipalities of Origin.
• LIUNA Local 300 / LIUNA Local 3000coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair. Co-sponsor of the 2024 Community Fair.
• Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• LCLAA – Los Angeles Chapter (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• Reclaim Our Schools L.A.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• First BookminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• El Rancho Federation of TeachersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• Dr. Rocio RivasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a sponsor/supporting partner of the March 9, 2024 Los Angeles Community Fair.
• Iglesia Reformada, Anglican Church, and Lutheran ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based working partners of the CLAIR/INSAMI Clinic in El Salvador, supporting medical and psychological services to returnees and migrants.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Public Counsel: LA's largest pro bono law firm, providing immigration legal services, children's rights, and consumer protection for low-income communities; overlaps with El Rescate on immigration representation and Know Your Rights education in Los Angeles.
• CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights): LA-based immigrant rights organization offering legal services, advocacy, and civic engagement for the same immigrant populations El Rescate serves; both are 501(c)(3)s on each other's homepage partner logo walls and co-sponsor community fairs.
• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services): Texas-based non-profit providing immigration legal services, detention representation, and citizenship programs to a similar low-income immigrant population; one of the largest direct legal-services peers to El Rescate's model.
• Asylum Access: National non-profit providing legal aid and representation to asylum seekers; directly comparable to El Rescate's Asylum Program which handles I-589 filings and BIA appeals.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): National non-profit focused on providing pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children — directly comparable to El Rescate's UAM/SIJS program, which has represented 500+ unaccompanied minors in LA since 2014.
• CARECEN (Central American Resource Center): Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) providing immigration legal services, citizenship, DACA, asylum, and community education to the Central American immigrant community — directly overlapping El Rescate's primary segment and service mix.

Broad incumbents

• USCRI (U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants): Established national non-profit providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and advocacy across the U.S.; offers overlapping legal capabilities but operates across many sites and programs beyond El Rescate's niche.
• Catholic Charities of Los Angeles: Large LA-based non-profit providing immigration legal services (BIA-accredited), refugee resettlement, and family services; a broader social-services incumbent that overlaps with El Rescate on immigration representation in Los Angeles.

Emerging players

• Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON): Faith-based network of volunteer immigration attorneys providing low-cost legal services nationwide; offers overlapping immigration legal services but relies on volunteer-driven delivery rather than El Rescate's staff-attorney model.

Regional players

• Centro Legal de la Raza: Bay Area-based non-profit legal services organization serving immigrant, low-income, and Latino communities with a similar sliding-fee model and mission; comparable in structure to El Rescate but operating primarily in Oakland rather than Los Angeles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/elrescate_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@elrescate8431
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElRescate.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/elrescateorg
• TikToktiktok.com/@elrescateorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/el-rescate-social-svc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 El Rescate