El Centro Hispanoamericano

What El Centro Hispanoamericano does

El Centro Hispanoamericano is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Plainfield, New Jersey. It provides affordable immigration legal services and social support programs to low-income immigrants and refugees, with a primary focus on the Spanish-speaking community in central New Jersey. The organization is recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and its representatives are accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice to appear before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration Court, and on appeals. Its legal practice covers asylum, cancellation of removal, temporary protected status, naturalization, family-based petitions, green card applications, DACA renewals, VAWA self-petitions, U visas, T visas, SIJS petitions, waivers, and adjustment of status.

The organization's service portfolio extends beyond legal assistance to include complementary social programs: English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, citizenship preparation classes, a food pantry, scheduled food distributions, and used clothing distributions. It is governed by a 9-member Board of Trustees and supported by a 5-member Advisory Committee. Day-to-day operations are led by Executive Director Silvia Hernández and a small staff of approximately 10 employees, supplemented by community volunteers.

El Centro Hispanoamericano operates a community-led go-to-market model, acquiring clients through referrals from religious congregations, partnerships with community organizations, volunteer recruitment, and word-of-mouth within the local immigrant community. It does not use a proprietary technology platform. Revenue is generated primarily through fees paid by clients for legal representation, supplemented by individual donations and charitable contributions; specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization is privately held and independent, with no parent company, funding rounds, or equity backing identified.

Name

El Centro Hispanoamericano

Legal name

El Centro Hispanoamericano

Website

https://elcentronj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

El Centro Hispanoamericano is a Plainfield, New Jersey-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 that provides affordable immigration legal representation and social services, including ESL classes, food distributions, and clothing assistance, to low-income immigrants and refugees in central New Jersey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Law (BPAHAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigration Legal Services & Representation (Law Firms) (THACAKAF), Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Refugee social services
• Nonprofit immigration assistance
• ESL education programs
• Citizenship preparation classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Client fees for legal assistance: Fees paid by clients for immigration legal assistance represent a significant portion of the organization's budget. The organization strives to keep these fees as low as possible to serve low-income immigrants.
2. Individual donations and charitable contributions: Annual individual giving campaign requesting donations from friends and community members to support humanitarian efforts. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 22-2487067), enabling tax-deductible donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

El Centro Hispanoamericano provides low-cost immigration legal representation before USCIS, Immigration Court, and on appeal, covering asylum, cancellation of removal, TPS, naturalization, VAWA self-petitions, U/T visas, SIJS, green card applications, and DACA renewals. It complements legal services with social support programs including food distributions, ESL classes, citizenship preparation classes, and used clothing distribution for low-income immigrants and refugees in central New Jersey.

Product overview

El Centro Hispanoamericano is a nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of immigration legal services and community support programs. Its core offering is Legal Assistance Services, which provides low-cost immigration representation and counseling. This is complemented by social services including Food Distributions, English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes, Citizenship Classes, and Used Clothes Distribution. The organization primarily serves Spanish-speaking immigrants and refugees in central New Jersey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: HIAS is a global Jewish nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, DOJ-accredited immigration legal services, and advocacy — operating the same BIA-recognized immigration representation model as El Centro but at international scale.
• Church World Service: Church World Service operates DOJ-recognized immigration legal programs nationally with significant NJ presence, providing refugee resettlement and representation comparable in scope and accreditation to El Centro, but at far larger scale.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): The IRC provides refugee resettlement and DOJ-accredited immigration legal services with offices across New Jersey — directly comparable service mix (legal plus social support for newcomers) but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC): CLINIC is the largest U.S. network of BIA-recognized immigration legal services programs, providing training, capacity-building, and accreditation support to member nonprofits structurally identical to El Centro.

Others

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): AILA is the national bar association of immigration attorneys that sets practice standards and provides continuing legal education; it is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct service competitor to El Centro.

Direct peers

• Justice For Our Neighbors: Justice For Our Neighbors is a faith-based network providing free and low-cost immigration legal services through DOJ-accredited representatives — closely aligned with El Centro's BIA-recognized, community-funded legal aid model.
• Make the Road New Jersey: Make the Road New Jersey is an immigrant-led organization providing legal services, education, and community organizing across New Jersey — directly comparable to El Centro's integrated legal-plus-social-services model.
• Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen: Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen operates a BIA-recognized immigration legal services program across central New Jersey — directly overlapping El Centro's geography and DOJ-accredited representation model for low-income immigrants.
• Wind of the Spirit: Wind of the Spirit is an immigrant resource center based in Plainfield, NJ that directly serves the same city and Spanish-speaking community as El Centro, providing similar wraparound immigrant support and legal referrals.
• American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) — Immigrant Rights Program: AFSC's Immigrant Rights Program provides immigration legal services, advocacy, and accompaniment to immigrants in multiple U.S. states, comparable in mission (legal aid for low-income immigrants) and DOJ-accredited representation to El Centro.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61551577694631
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/el-centro-hispanoamericano

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about El Centro Hispanoamericano