ORANGE COUNTY
JUSTICE FUND
“There are not enough attorneys, accredited representatives, and other qualified professionals to meet the legal needs of OC’s immigrant population. Legal empowerment offers an alternative framework to meet the needs of low-income residents facing deportation and generate change in US immigration legal system, by empowering individuals and communities to know, use, and shape the laws that affect their lives.”
– Orange County Justice Fund Website
What We Do
community wellbeing
Orange County Justice Fund offers a 6-month healing program, Cafetico Contigo which is led by women impacted by incarceration and immigration detention.
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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS & POPULAR EDUCATION
Orange County Justice Fund offers KYR clinics and workshops to prepare folks for legal consultations, raise awareness about various immigration relief options, and address immigration fraud, notably the dangers of notario publico services.
PRO SE LEGAL CLINC
Orange County Justice Fund launched a pro se legal clinic in November of 2023 in response to a growing need for legal services and resources within the community.
Our Story
The Orange County Justice Fund (OCJF) was founded in 2017 through a collaboration of grassroots leaders, attorneys, and law professors to advocate for transformative change in the immigration legal system [in Orange County]. OCJF is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable immigrants and refugees in Orange County (and across the state of California) and generating transformative change in the U.S. immigration system to ensure effective legal representation, due process rights, and services for community reintegration. It applies a harm reduction lens to all of its programs. OCJF’s office is located in a historic cultural center where a lot of community organizing, mostly of Latine immigrant communities, has taken place for decades.
OCJF began as an immigration bond fund because of the three detention centers in Orange County. Through the fund they provide financial assistance for immigration bonds, covering either full or partial amounts for detained members of the Orange County community. OCJF’s commitment extends beyond bond payments as they also offer post-release support. This includes facilitating connections to other OCJF programs or, when necessary, referring individuals to trusted community partners for specialized assistance unavailable within their organization. OCJF’s Bond Fund program, the only bond fund in Orange County and largest in Southern California, is still active. In 2021, following the closure of the three federal detention centers, the federal government opened the Santa Ana Immigration Court. The opening of this immigration court brought with it a new challenge – an influx of deportation proceedings. As of February 2023, over 17,000 Orange County residents have a case pending at the Santa Ana Immigration Court. Today, OCFJ stays true to its mission by developing timely and relevant community programs, including a pro se legal clinic, in an ever-changing legal landscape.