Hays

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) is a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to low-income residents in sixty-eight counties of Southwest Texas, and represents migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout the state of Texas and six southern states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. In addition, TRLA operates public defender programs in several Southwest Texas counties, representing the poor who are accused of felonies, misdemeanors and juvenile crimes.

Attorneys who have an ongoing active interest in the program are retained on our Pro Bono Attorney list and contacted for assistance with workshops and other activities. We also occasionally solicit outside help to take individual cases.

American Gateways is committed to justice for immigrants because we believe that everyone- regardless of immigration status- should be allowed to demonstrate their legal reason to be in the United States. Far too many people, with a legal reason to be here, are detained or deported simply because they can't afford to hire a private immigration lawyer. Furthermore, immigrants do not have a legal right to a court-appointed attorney in immigration matters and most do not qualify for government-funded legal assistance programs.