Standing with Immigrant Communities. Fighting for Justice.
At the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, we stand with our immigrant neighbors. And with your help, we fight back—every single day.
Since January 2025, the administration has waged a mass deportation campaign that has struck fear into immigrant communities across the country. Together with our community partners, we are on the frontlines of a national battle to defend the rights of our immigrant neighbors.
WLC is using every legal tool at our disposal to challenge unlawful immigration policies and protect the constitutional rights of immigrant communities. We have filed five national lawsuits challenging the administration’s immigration policies.
Protecting Houses of Worship as Holy Sanctuaries
Defending the constitutional right to worship freely, without fear of immigration enforcement.
It’s not every day that a civil rights organization has to go to court to protect the constitutional rights of churches and faith communities.
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee, together with our partners Democracy Forward and Gilbert LLP, sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for conducting immigration arrests and surveillance at or near houses of worship.
Our lawsuit details how immigration agents have arrested parishioners in church parking lots and during preschool pickup, and have even attempted arrests while pastors were preaching sermons.
We are fighting to ensure that immigrant families can worship freely and that faith communities can remain places of safety, community, and sanctuary.
Safeguarding Constitutional Birthright Citizenship
Defending a constitutional guarantee for children born in the United States.
Alongside Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, we sued on behalf of OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates to block President Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.
Birthright citizenship is a constitutional guarantee for children born on U.S. soil, dating back to the 19th century. The administration’s attempt to eliminate this right threatens families and communities across the country.
Following the Supreme Court’s June 2025 ruling, we are bringing this case as a class action and have moved for partial summary judgment.
Upholding Humanitarian Protection
Protecting immigrants who face danger if they are forced to return home.
We sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for unlawfully terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Venezuelans, Afghans, and Cameroonians across the country.
Together with the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, we are fighting on behalf of members of CASA and Make the Road New York who face peril and harm if deported.
Client Stories
Our clients include B.S., an Afghan woman who fled Afghanistan with her young children after the Taliban took control of Kabul. Without TPS, B.S. and her children could be arrested, detained, and deported.
D.T. fled brutal violence in Cameroon. After arriving in the United States, D.T. obtained TPS status and a work permit. Without TPS, D.T. and his family could be sent back to the very danger they escaped.
The Workers’ Rights Clinic
Protecting immigrant workers from exploitation and abuse.
Our Workers’ Rights Clinics provide a lifeline to immigrant workers facing wage theft, unsafe working conditions, sexual harassment, and retaliation—often the only legal help available to them.
The Workers’ Rights Clinic provides a safe space where workers in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia can receive completely free legal advice and learn about their rights. The Clinic is operated by attorney and non-attorney volunteers, both in person and online.
As some employers take advantage of their employees’ uncertain immigration status, we work alongside immigrant workers and communities to ensure that all workers can understand and exercise their rights.
Together, We Fight for Immigrant Justice
Together—with your support—we will continue using every legal tool at our disposal to oppose mass deportations, defend our immigrant neighbors, and protect the civil rights of immigrant communities.
Together, we can show our immigrant neighbors that they are not alone—that justice and compassion are stronger than fear.
For more information, see our Legal Resources for Immigrant Communities in Virginia, Maryland, & DC.
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Learn more about joining the fight for immigration rights by contacting us at [email protected].
Recent Victory
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction in our suit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The court has halted its policy of conducting immigration arrests in Washington, D.C., without warrants or probable cause that the individual is an imminent flight risk—a practice that has instilled fear in neighborhoods across the city.
The DC Department of Human Services (DHS) repeatedly failed to provide language access services to DC residents, violating the civil rights of individual residents and harming the overall health of the community.
