In Sacramento, a volunteer program helps immigrants face court without a lawyer
A Sacramento program sends volunteer lawyers to immigration court to assist unrepresented immigrants, who face steep odds in deportation proceedings.
On a recent morning at the immigration court in Sacramento, California, lawyer Kamalpreet Chohan scanned a list of 57 people scheduled for hearings. None of them had legal representation.
Chohan coordinates a volunteer effort that places attorneys at the courthouse to help immigrants navigate a system where the outcome can mean staying in the U.S. or being deported. The stakes have grown under the current administration, which has expanded enforcement, shortened hearing timelines, and increased the pace of court proceedings.
Unlike criminal courts, immigration courts do not guarantee a lawyer. Immigrants must pay thousands of dollars for private counsel or seek help from nonprofits, which often have long waiting lists. In many parts of the country, immigration attorneys are scarce.
According to an analysis by the Vera Institute of Justice, people in 52% of the roughly 3.2 million pending deportation cases lack legal representation. A 2024 Congressional Research Service study found that only 19% of unrepresented people won asylum or another form of relief, compared with 47% of those who had a lawyer.
“Having an attorney is just super critical to be able to navigate the system successfully,” said Adriel Orozco of the American Immigration Council.
Chohan said she often meets people who have been scammed by individuals posing as lawyers. One man, who fled Guatemala after gang threats and arrived in 2024, said he paid $4,500 to a lawyer who did nothing for his case. He now fears deportation after a judge warned him about his options. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said.
Inside the courthouse, Judge Susan Phan introduces Chohan to each courtroom, noting that her services are voluntary but rare. Chohan spends most of her time in the waiting room, reviewing documents, flagging missing information, and advising people on asylum applications, translations, and filing deadlines.
She reminds people to download receipts for the $102 asylum fee, to submit translations done by a person rather than an online tool, and to provide complete passport copies. She also warns that judges may deny claims that lack detail.
Chohan has seen the courts change during President Donald Trump’s second term, including arrests in hallways and large “mega” hearings meant to reduce backlogs. She acknowledges there are not enough pro bono lawyers to meet demand, but says the program “helps bridge that gap.”