Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

What Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project does

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) is a Maine-based nonprofit founded in 1993 that operates as the state's only statewide immigration legal services organization. It delivers three integrated service pillars — Direct Legal Services (asylum, TPS, family reunification, detention representation, removal defense), Education & Outreach (Know Your Rights presentations, emergency preparedness), and Systemic Advocacy (state and federal policy work). ILAP serves Maine immigrants, individuals detained by immigration authorities, asylum seekers, and TPS holders, with a particular focus on Maine's Black and Brown immigrant communities.

The organization runs on a donated-services delivery model with no client fees, supported by individual donations, foundation and government grants, fundraising events, and a Pro Bono Panel of volunteer attorneys. Core operational infrastructure includes two physical offices (Portland headquarters and Lewiston satellite), an online intake form for detained-person cases, a Maine Immigrant Defense Hotline, a multilingual website (English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Lingala, Haitian Creole, Somali, Arabic), and newsletter communications (Golden Door monthly email, biannual Immigrant Beacon print). Case management is supported by standard immigration legal services software. The organization has scaled rapidly in response to elevated ICE enforcement, deploying coordinated habeas petition work with ACLU of Maine, the Maine School of Law Refugee and Human Rights Clinic, and The Habeas Project of Massachusetts.

ILAP is governed by a volunteer board led by Board President Thomas Douglas, Esq. and Vice President Barbara Leen, Esq. (Microsoft Senior Corporate Counsel), with executive leadership from Executive Director Sue Roche, Policy Director Lisa Parisio, and Co-Legal Directors Melissa Brennan and Alice Kopij. Funding is unsecured, nonprofit-style (no parent, no equity), and no financials are publicly disclosed beyond an annual report referenced on the website.

Name

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

Legal name

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

Website

https://ilapmaine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) is Maine's only statewide nonprofit immigration legal services organization, providing free direct legal representation, community education, and systemic advocacy to immigrants, asylum seekers, TPS holders, and individuals detained by immigration authorities across all 16 Maine counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education (EDAAADAB), Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Asylum legal assistance
• Immigration advocacy
• Detention legal aid
• Community legal education

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ILAP is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals, foundations, businesses, and community supporters. The organization runs fundraising campaigns including #GivingTuesday and accepts tax-deductible charitable contributions.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: ILAP receives funding from government sources and private foundations to support its legal services and advocacy work. The organization testified for supplemental budget funding for civil legal aid.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) provides free immigration legal services to low-income immigrants in Maine, including direct legal representation in asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), family reunification, work authorization, and removal defense cases. The organization also delivers community education (Know Your Rights and emergency preparedness programming) and conducts systemic policy advocacy at the state and federal levels, including support for detained individuals through habeas petitions and bond hearings. ILAP is Maine's only statewide immigration legal services nonprofit.

Product overview

ILAP (Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project) is Maine's only statewide immigration legal services nonprofit organization. It operates as a direct services and advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. The portfolio consists of three core service pillars: Direct Legal Services (representing clients in immigration matters including asylum, TPS, detention, and family reunification), Education & Outreach (Know Your Rights presentations and emergency preparedness programs), and Systemic Advocacy (policy work at state and federal levels). Supporting these are communications products including the monthly Golden Door newsletter and biannual Immigrant Beacon newsletter, a Pro Bono Panel connecting volunteer attorneys with cases, and specialized programs such as the Immigrant Children's Project. The organization does not offer a technology platform or software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Legal Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 195 requests for assistance responded to in 2026 YTD
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACLU of MainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAP works with ACLU of Maine on rapid response coordination during ICE operations and joint advocacy for immigrant rights and due process protections.
• Refugee and Human Rights Clinic at Maine School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAP collaborates with the law school's clinic on emergency response plans, client representation, and policy advocacy for Maine immigrants.
• The Habeas Project of MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAP partnered with The Habeas Project to develop emergency response plans and connect people arrested by immigration officials with high-quality legal representation.
• Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition (MIRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAP works with MIRC on supporting Afghan families, community coordination, and advocacy for immigrant communities across Maine.
• Catholic Charities MainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAP collaborates with Catholic Charities Maine as part of the coalition supporting Afghan evacuees and humanitarian parole cases.
• Private Attorneys Network Across New EnglandcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerILAP built a network of highly experienced private immigration attorneys across New England who agreed to assist with emergency cases during ICE operations.
• PAIR ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAP refers detainees at Plymouth or Wyatt detention facilities to the PAIR Project for legal assistance.
• New Hampshire Legal AssistanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAP refers detainees at Strafford County Jail to New Hampshire Legal Assistance for legal help.
• Project Relief MEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack immigrant-led mutual aid group providing urgent support including food, housing, legal aid, and community solidarity. ILAP references as a resource.
• Maine Solidarity FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial support fund for immigrants and marginalized communities including bail/bond, legal fees, and emergency family support. ILAP references as a resource.
• Community Relief Fund (CRF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity and BIPOC-led mutual aid and rapid response effort offering financial support to families impacted by ICE detention. ILAP references as a resource.
• Mainers for Humane ImmigrationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides financial support for people in ICE detention and their families including commissary deposits, release support, and letter-writing programs. ILAP references as a resource.
• Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers immigration bond support for people connected to Massachusetts including those detained in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island. ILAP references as a resource.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services): Large-scale Texas-based immigration legal services and advocacy nonprofit. Operates on a similar direct services + advocacy model as ILAP but at significantly greater scale, including detention representation and asylum work.
• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National advocacy organization focused on immigration law and policy. Comparable to ILAP's systemic advocacy pillar but operating federally rather than state-level, often as a counterparty in litigation affecting immigrant rights.
• CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Network): National nonprofit network supporting immigration legal services programs. Provides capacity-building, training, and accreditation support comparable to ILAP's role in Maine but at national scale across hundreds of affiliated programs.

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities Maine: Identified ILAP partner supporting Afghan evacuees and humanitarian parole cases. Provides overlapping immigration legal services and refugee resettlement support within Maine, serving the same immigrant population base.
• New Hampshire Legal Assistance: ILAP refers Strafford County Jail detainees to NH Legal Assistance. Provides civil legal aid including immigration representation in adjacent New England geography, serving overlapping immigrant populations.
• The Habeas Project (Massachusetts): Core partner that helped ILAP develop emergency response plans and connect people arrested by immigration officials with high-quality legal representation. Focuses on immigration habeas work, directly comparable to ILAP's habeas petition practice.
• PAIR Project: Massachusetts-based immigration legal services nonprofit. ILAP refers detainees at Plymouth and Wyatt facilities to PAIR for legal assistance. Serves same function of pro bono immigration representation for detained populations.

Emerging players

• Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition (MIRC): Coalition partner supporting Afghan families and immigrant community coordination. Functions as advocacy and coordination entity serving overlapping Maine immigrant populations with ILAP.
• Refugee and Human Rights Clinic, Maine School of Law: Partner on emergency response plans, client representation, and policy advocacy. Provides clinical immigration legal services to Maine immigrants, partially overlapping with ILAP's direct services portfolio.
• ACLU of Maine: Strategic partner coordinating rapid response during ICE operations and joint immigrant rights advocacy. While ACLU's scope extends beyond immigration, its immigrant rights work in Maine directly overlaps with ILAP's advocacy pillar.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ilapmaine
• Facebookfacebook.com/ILAPMaine
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilapmaine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ilapmaine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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