Catholic Charities Staff Receives DOJ Accreditation for Immigration Services
Angela Alfaro
November 13, 2024 (Fort Wayne, IN) – Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (CCFWSB) is thrilled to announce Immigration Case Manager Angela Alfaro’s Application for Partial Accreditation has been approved by the United States Department of Justice Office (DOJ) of Legal Access Programs. This achievement represents the culmination of a long training process during which Alfaro has gained significant experience and expertise.
Alfaro has been working in CCFWSB’s Immigration Department for nearly three years and working toward accreditation since 2022. She started with the agency as an intern and was hired on as a case manager in 2022 specifically to help meet the needs of the large influx of Afghan asylees arriving in the U.S. after the fall of Kabul. Over the course of her career, Alfaro has excelled in this area and continues to specialize in supporting refugees and asylees in their immigration needs.
As with all other types of legal practice, Immigration Law is subject to regulation, and therefore it is not legal in the United States to provide legal representation or legal advice without being an attorney, a DOJ accredited representative, or a staff person under the direct legal supervision of an attorney or DOJ accredited representative.
DOJ Accreditation and Recognition are components of a Department of Justice program specifically designed to encourage the development of affordable and accessible legal access, intended to serve low-income and at-risk populations that may be eligible for immigration processes, but lacking legal representation. Non-profit organizations meeting high standards of oversight and expertise are authorized to train individuals in the practice of immigration law and after obtaining significant experience, these employees are eligible to apply for accreditation as DOJ Accredited Representatives, giving them, the authority to practice immigration law as non-attorneys.
CCFWSB has been a DOJ Recognized Organization since 2002, offering safe and affordable legal aid to thousands of immigrants in our local community. This tradition of service continues as Alfaro joins our team of Accredited experts, allowing CCFWSB to expand the capacity to serve. Services provided by Accredited representatives include providing immigration advice, completing immigration forms, and drafting legal documents to be submitted on behalf of our clients. Without these services, those in need of immigration assistance in our local community would be more susceptible to predatory providers as well as well-intentioned but unlicensed individuals without appropriate training; both of these situations put clients at risk of having petitions denied, losing access to services for which they should be eligible, and even of deportation or family separation.
“We are happy to welcome Angela to the Catholic Charities team of Accredited Representatives,” said Luz Ostrognai, Director of Immigration Services at CCFWSB. “The agency looks forward to supporting her and the rest of the team as they continue to provide exceptional legal services to those in need throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.”
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About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:
Catholic Charities is a private 501 (c) 3 incorporated in the state of Indiana to act as the coordinating and administrative agency for the charitable activities assigned to it by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend; to plan for, initiate, direct, support and coordinate Catholic social-services programs for the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical welfare of persons in need; to seek and determine the causes of social problems in order to better promote preventative social-action programs; to participate in community planning and organization, and work cooperatively with other individuals and groups in the field of social work. The service area for Catholic Charities includes the 14 counties of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, encompassing 2,236 square miles, with a population of 1,247,850. Currently, Catholic Charities has offices in Fort Wayne (Allen County), Auburn (DeKalb County), and South Bend (St. Joseph County), Indiana. In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, CCFWSB served over 21,000 individuals at a fiscally responsible rate of 88 cents of every dollar dedicated to client services. The agency’s mission is to serve all those in need as Christ calls us to do.