Position Title: Immigration Specialist
Organization: Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Department: Immigration Legal Services
Position Type: Full-Time (37.5+ hours/week), Non-Exempt
Work Setting: Fully Onsite
Reports To: Managing Attorney
Pay Range: $26-$28/hour
Total Compensation
In addition to standard pay, compensation for this position includes:
- Comprehensive, low-cost healthcare coverage for employees
- Generous employer 401(k) contributions
- Employer-covered life insurance
Time Away From Work
Being able to take time away from work is critical in bringing your best self to work. Time off benefits for this position include:
- Paid vacation time and sick leave
- 15 paid holidays, including Federal and Jewish holidays (as long as the holiday lands on a normal scheduled work day), and floating holidays
- 2 Wellness Days to be taken any time during the year to support employees’ mental wellness
Position Overview
Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) is a Department of Justice-recognized provider of immigration legal services and a key refugee resettlement agency in San Diego County. As co-lead of the Immigration Legal Services Coalition of San Diego (ILSC) with Casa Cornelia Law Center, JFS plays a critical role in coordinating rapid-response efforts and delivering legal support for vulnerable noncitizens impacted by immigration enforcement.
Serving low-income and vulnerable immigrants across San Diego and Imperial Counties, JFS offers legal representation and support tailored to each client’s needs. Services include removal defense, humanitarian relief, family-based petitions, naturalization, and administrative remedies. JFS provides representation before USCIS, ICE, CBP, and Immigration Courts, as well as in select cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal courts, and San Diego Superior Court.
JFS also leads the Higher Education Legal Services (HELS) program, supporting immigrant students, faculty, and staff at two California State Universities and ten regional community colleges. Beyond direct services, JFS engages in advocacy to advance the rights and well-being of immigrants and refugees throughout the region.
The Immigration Specialist will work under the supervision of the Lead Immigration Advocate, Supervising Immigration Advocate, and Managing Immigration Attorney. The Immigration Specialist will participate in an intensive training program to become a Department of Justice (DOJ) Partially Accredited Representative. Once accredited, the Immigration Specialist will be responsible for providing direct legal representation in immigration matters before DHS agencies and supporting the broader efforts of the JFS-ILSD.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Lead Immigration Advocate, Supervising Immigration Advocate, and Managing Immigration Attorney, the Immigration Specialist will be responsible for:
- Navigating complex legal issues of low-income and vulnerable immigrant populations in San Diego and Imperial counties.
- Conduct immigration legal screenings, including eligibility and risk assessments, for individuals and families - particularly those detained by immigration enforcement or held in detention facilities in San Diego and Imperial counties.
- Communicate with potential clients about the status of their pending immigration cases.
- Provide casework support, including drafting legal filings, drafting applications, gathering evidence and case management support under the supervision of Immigrant Legal Rights Program (ILRP) attorneys and DOJ Fully Accredited Representatives.
- Have an excellent track record in drafting successful immigration filings under the supervision of attorneys before USCIS, ICE, BP, and CBP’s Office of Field Operations (OFO).
- Successfully manage and coordinate a full caseload of Limited Scope activations in a prompt, ethical, and comprehensive manner.
- Answer ILSC hotline calls for individuals who have been detained, have a loved one that has been detained, or are at risk of detention, in an empathetic and professional manner.
- Participate in community workshops, information sessions, and other outreach activities, as needed.
- Coordinate and document client communications.
- Stay up to date on rapidly changing immigration laws and policies.
- Comply with data and program reporting requirements.
- Be ready to perform any additional case management or administrative tasks. Including but not limited to supporting and supervising ILSD volunteers and interns.
Skills/Experience/Abilities That Are a Must-Have
- A passion for social justice and immigrant rights.
- Dedication to providing culturally competent, trauma-informed, services to noncitizens and newcomers in the San Diego and Imperial counties.
- A willingness to undergo extensive immigration law-focused legal training, with an emphasis on representation before DHS agencies and in detained settings, and complete required bi-annual ethics training.
- Attend mandatory Regional Hub meetings scheduled and led by ILSC Program Manager.
- Provide Pro Se accompaniment to non-detained individuals to ICE appointments and/or potentially as Friend of the Court in a Court setting.
- A minimum of 1 year of immigration legal experience (preferred).
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including good communication and active listening skills.
- An ability to record accurate data.
- Strong relational skills and professional attitude.
- Strong case management, research, and writing skills (preferred).
- A demonstrated ability and willingness to zealously defend the rights of immigrants.
- A demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure.
- An ability to work both independently and in a group/team setting.
- An ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends.
- Ability to prioritize, multi-task and organize in a fast paced and fluid environment.
- Proficient in Microsoft software including Excel, Word, and Outlook (preferred).
- A passion for our mission and work.
- Multilingual English/Arabic, Spanish, Farsi, Haitian Creole, and/or Portuguese – desired.
- Experience working with immigrants from different countries.
- Experience working with marginalized populations and survivors of trauma.
Skills/Abilities We’d Like You To Have
- Ability to travel locally within San Diego and Imperial Counties.
- Must be eligible and willing to seek DOJ Partial Accreditation (training and support provided).
- Must attend scheduled mandatory regional and program meetings.
- Have a higher education degree.
Physical Requirements
- Evening and weekend work will be required when we conduct workshops.
- Travel may be required for conferences, outreach meetings, or community events.
- While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and listen.
- The employee frequently needs to stand, walk, use hands and fingers to operate a keyboard, handle documents, and reach for the telephone or other office equipment.
- The work environment has a moderate noise level, requiring the ability to concentrate and maintain good auditory perception.
- The employee must have the ability to lift, push, or pull up to 25 pounds as needed.
Important Notice
Please submit your resume and cover letter on your application.
Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Please, no phone calls. Please, principals only. Please, local candidates only (relocation is not provided).
About Jewish Family Service Of San Diego
Jewish Family Service of San Diego is a client-centered, impact-driven organization working to build a stronger, more resilient community. For over 100 years, Jewish Family Service has been a trusted resource for the entire community, offering an array of services that are always life-changing, and often life-saving. At Jewish Family Service, we believe our employees are the backbone of our Agency. We strive to ensure that each employee is treated with dignity and respect. Our goal is your success. Come work at JFS and be our partner in
Moving Forward Together. To learn more about JFS, please visit jfssd.org.
- Jewish Family Service is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
