The Real Property and Home Foreclosure Prevention team: 

• Provides colonia residents and property owners with legal services such as advice, counsel, negotiations, or representation in litigation in the areas of foreclosures, platting issues, real estate conveyances, title issues, and substandard housing;
• Supports nonprofit self-help housing groups in the TRLA service area;
• Creates and maintains important contacts with other direct-services agencies and community groups;
• Conducts seminars and distributes flyers on financial literacy, consumer rights, and property ownership;
• Conducts sessions to teach the financial literacy curriculum to promotoras, who can replicate the TRLA seminars in their communities;
• Represents and advises people and families who are facing home foreclosure sales caused by wraparound mortgage scams; home-equity loan noncompliance; reverse mortgage servicing and origination; tax lender servicing or origination violations; Home Owner Association (HOA) practices; FHA, VA, RHS, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and conventional loan practices; violations of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regulations; and other fraudulent or predatory practices;
• Defends clients using provisions of the Texas law that allow people who are over 65 or disabled to defer property taxes until their death and help other homeowners negotiate installment payment plans with taxing entities to avoid foreclosures and prevent homelessness.

Due to limited resources, TRLA cannot accept every case that has merit. The foreclosure prevention team also provides advice, sample forms, and, when appropriate, other limited services.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

This program provides low-income entrepreneurs with legal services to help them form, maintain, or expand their small businesses, social enterprises, or cooperatively owned businesses.

Services & Activities 

• Help people who are working to create and retain assets and improve their economic prospects through entrepreneurship by providing referrals, counseling, and services;
• Provide direct legal services to low-income entrepreneurs who are starting and growing their businesses; 
• Develop legal resources for low-income entrepreneurs; 
• Provide legal services and support for entrepreneurs seeking to engage in non-exploitative forms of business such as cooperatively owned and managed enterprises; 
• Conduct community outreach and provide community legal education for the entrepreneurial community supporting microenterprise development.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

All TRLA programs can be accessed through intake at the Telephone Access to Justice hotline.

To qualify for TRLA services, you must meet the income, asset, and immigration requirements established by the U.S. Congress, the Texas Legislature, and other funding sources.

The guidelines are complicated, but intake workers at our Telephone Access to Justice (TAJ) hotline can help you through the application process. 

TRLA intake is free.

TRLA’s CBAR program matches eligible nonprofits with volunteer attorneys who provide legal help with business matters that do not involve litigation, such as incorporation, federal tax exemption, bylaws, contracts, internal policies, board compliance, and other nonprofit legal needs.

Click here to download the application. This is a fillable form, so you can either print and fill out the document, or complete the fillable form on your device. Send the completed application to us by:

• Email attachment to [email protected]
• Mail to Texas CBAR, 2930 N. IH 35, Austin, Texas, 78751, or
• Fax to 512.447.3940

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

The Texas Foster Youth Justice Project provides free and confidential legal services for current and former foster youth throughout Texas.

The team helps youth with various legal and administrative matters such as obtaining copies of CPS records; erasing criminal and juvenile records; and accessing foster youth benefits and programs that help in the transition from foster care to independence.

Click here or phone the number below to get help.

Click here to view or download the Texas Foster Youth Justice Project brochure with important information about your rights and how to keep them.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

TRLA staff works to remove barriers to obtaining Driver's Licenses by assisting in clearing outstanding citations. Staff also assists in researching and resolving other issues that prevent individuals from obtaining a valid Driver's License or valid ID, including obtaining an out-of-state birth certificate.

For more information, please email [email protected].

The clinic serves homeless and low-income veterans in Bexar County.

TRLA representation is free, but there may be other related charges such as court fees. 

In partnership with St. Mary’s University School of Law Pro Bono Program and Texas Law, Pride Center San Antonio's Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program offers gender marker and name change clinics for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. The project aims to assist people in aligning the gender presented on their government identifications, driver’s licenses, and other documents with how they identify.

Changing one’s identification to align with who they know themselves to be is a major milestone and affirmation of their identity. These corrections have the potential to curb discrimination, violence, and having to be outed as transgender every time they have to present their ID.

Email The Center for assistance in changing your gender marker. 

Free legal counsel; some documentation fees may apply.

RAICES provides legal services to asylum-seekers who may be eligible for relief on humanitarian grounds. The primary asylum claim could be due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Individuals who have been persecuted or who have a credible fear of persecution and who are unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of their country of origin can apply for asylum protection from the U.S. government.

The asylum cases that we handle are complex, fraught, and challenging. Asylum seekers are coming from countries where there is no stability, where violence against them or their families is common, and where they have no hope of building a peaceful life for themselves or their children.

Call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.

Our Direct Services team consists of social workers and case managers devoted to meeting our client’s basic necessities.

We carry out these services by providing individualized needs assessments, emotional support, resource linkage, empowerment, and education.

Our services include, but are not limited to:

• ICE/ISAP/Court Accompaniment
• School Registration
• Access to:
  • Nutrition
  • Clothing Assistance
  • ESL Classes
  • Medical Care
  • Mental Health
  • Dental Care
  • Housing
  • Internet Connection/Wifi
  • Safety Planning
  • Transportation

For more information, contact us.

• Free Wi-Fi

Each RAICES office handles DACA renewals, and our attorneys advise DACA recipients on all aspects of their immigration cases.

DACA and other federal programs are complex and are cost-prohibitive. RAICES helps beneficiaries of DACA and other programs with fee assistance, paperwork filings, and other legal advice for recipients of these programs.

Call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.

The Karnes Pro Bono Project was launched in 2014 by a group of attorneys committed to serving the legal needs of women and children in the newly opened Karnes family detention center (“Karnes”). The project has since come under the direction of RAICES, providing free legal services to people in ICE custody at Karnes. The families are typically forced to pass a credible or reasonable fear interview before being released to pursue asylum. Failure to meet these requirements for asylum can lead to deportation, which can mean a return to persecution and death.

RAICES supports detained families by preparing them for their screening interviews, representing them in hearings before an immigration judge if they fail their interview, and submitting requests for reconsideration to the Asylum Office if the immigration judge affirms the negative interview decision. When the need arises, RAICES has helped persons detained at Karnes with parole requests, bond motions, asylum applications, representation in final asylum hearings in immigration court, and appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Our work also includes public advocacy campaigns and regular litigation and policy advocacy involvement.

For more information, contact us.

RAICES established the LEAF fund to ensure that children coming to this country can receive quality legal representation both in detention centers and once they are released. In 2018, our specially-trained team provided ongoing legal counsel to 400 children, and more than 4,500 children received training to help them understand their rights here in the United States.

The LEAF fund is a major source of support for the many RAICES programs benefiting unaccompanied children. Our children’s programs include:

• “Know Your Rights” presentations and legal screenings for thousands of children
• An advocate for children who have had their rights violated
• Legal representation for children both in detention and post-release
• Post-detention care, including ongoing access to counsel for children in their immigration cases
• Assistance with other fees associated with immigration documentation, forms, and applications

Call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.

The RAICES Bond Program is a Texas-based bond fund that seeks to mitigate the harmful effects of and otherwise dismantle ICE detention.

The RAICES Bond Program started in 2014 to cover the release of mothers and children, then held in Family Detention Centers in Texas and Pennsylvania. In June 2018, the Program grew when a viral Facebook fundraiser inspired more than 500,000 individual donors who were furious at the government ripping families apart and the otherwise inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States. Since then, we have responded to daily requests from people in detention, and our Bond Program covers people within the geographic scope of the state of Texas.

During workplace raids and the Zero Tolerance Family Separation of 2018, we have been on the ground. By building closer connections with participants, the Program gives people more resources and a greater degree of agency to navigate the complex immigration system and U.S. society more broadly. We believe that paying an individual’s bond is a short-term intervention to free someone from detention, while our long-term goal is ending the harmful practice of ICE detention.

We are proud members of the National Bail Fund Network, a bail and bond fund network seeking to end mass incarceration, including ICE detention.

Please fill out our form to apply for assistance through our bond fund

For questions, contact us.

RAICES serves community members in all of our Texas regions in defending themselves against deportation in Immigration Court. Because immigration proceedings are civil rather than criminal, immigrants have the right to counsel. Still, the immigrant bears the onus to pay for an attorney, and the “lack of appointed counsel may have a profound impact on immigrant’s ability to receive a fair hearing.”

RAICES attorneys represent people in detention seeking release through bond, and we handle a full range of defenses for people in custody and those who are fighting their court cases following release.

To request help defending a case in Immigration Court, you or your family can call the RAICES office nearest to you, or if your home is in San Antonio, please get in touch with our Immigration Detention Hotline at (800) 409-2893.

Know someone who is currently detained? Click here to get help.

The path to citizenship in the United States is a long and often torturous road. The list of eligibility requirements is long, and the process is complex. Even so, each year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services grants citizenship to roughly 700,000 – 750,000 people.

RAICES provides low-cost assistance with residency or citizenship applications.

Appointments are available at all RAICES offices, where, for a small fee, a lawyer will meet with clients. The consultation will also determine eligibility for RAICES services.

Please call 210-222-0964 to make an appointment.

The goal of the Fair Housing/ Housing Counseling Program is to help residents maintain housing stability, which is key to family well-being. The program is a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counseling agency.

The Fair Housing Program provides the following services to rental tenants, homeowners and landlords:

• Tenant and landlord mediation
• Default counseling to homeowners
• Housing Discrimination Complaints
• Referrals and community outreach
• Rent Assistance
• Mortgage Assistance
• Utility Assistance

Limited resources available. Call for information. Re-apply frequently.

Do you need help protesting your property taxes?

We can connect you with a real estate agent that will help at no cost!

To get started, complete the contact form on our website here.

Advocacy:

We advocate for the systemic changes needed within the institutions of the community to effectively respond to these needs.

We challenge law enforcement when they deviate from departmental policy in response to family violence calls. Advocate on how city dollars are spent in terms of effective response from community agencies.

The judicial system as a vital link in dealing effectively with domestic violence, the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative has worked to improve the criminal and civil response to domestic violence. During October, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative plans, designs and implements events and activities in a citywide effort to create awareness, get community involved, in eradicating the violence in families. 

Coalition Building:

We work to engage community members in discussions about the effects of family violence on family members and the community as a whole.

We are training them to know what to expect from law enforcement in terms of laws, safety, protections, resources and their rights which they in turn will teach other community residents.

We have learned that most survivors of family violence seek help with those people closest to them, therefore it is imperative we build a community consciousness of awareness, accountability and response.

This way that community member, will know what to say, how to respond, and where to send survivors of family violence for the appropriate help and support.  

This program is a free legal service for survivors of domestic violence in need of a protective order, divorce, custody, and property division.  This service also includes case management and court advocacy.  The program is grant-funded and survivors must qualify based on the national poverty guidelines.

Contact 210-533-2729 for more information

P.E.A.C.E Initiative works with Empower House providing educational classes on domestic violence to the mutual clients we serve.  These classes are delivered in both English and Spanish.  We do case management/consultation for the individual students in our classes.

Hello, precious woman. Your story matters. No one can take that from you. We believe you are here to help navigate the rest of your story.

We understand the reality of working in the industry. We offer counseling and mentorship. We want you to know we are here for you no matter where you are on your journey in life. We would love to have coffee and hear your story and see how we can be of support for you.

Finding community with women who can be trusted and have your best interest at heart is the first step to healing. We are such a community—women who have found ourselves in broken relationships, addiction, loss of hope, and in deep need of healing from the trauma of sexual exploitation. You will find community and support with the NSAGirls.

We offer a bi-weekly support group for your mind, body and soul. We have trauma therapies available along with resources in our community to help you live a whole, healed and productive life after your abuse.

This program is open to any woman or youth (13-18) who has been sexually abused, exploited, or trafficked.

Free

Civic Engagement/Base Building: We seek to educate, facilitate, and help others understand the community engagement process through a variety of outreach efforts. Read more.

Restoritive Justice and Healing: We work to create equitable environments of support and care for students and youth who have been directly impacted by systemic racism and the inequities surrounding underserved communities. Read more.

Youth Leadership Development: AIT-SCM's YLD initiative consists of four interactive elements which include Education, Mentoring, Health and Wellness, and Advocacy/Skill-Building groups. Read more.

Tribal and Urban Native Equity: Our goal is not to just see Native American culture preserved, but honored, embraced, and thriving in Bexar County and surrounding areas. Read more.

Warrior Roots Community Organizing Training Camp: The camp's goal is to raise consciousness and develop the collective leadership skills of People's Movements in south Texas with the vision of building a sustainable network of communities capable of mobilizing to protect and defend ourselves accordingly. Read more.

Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation Advocacy: AIT-SCM is helping to revitalize their ancestral language, assemble an archive of historical documents and works, elevate a national voice, and sustain indigenous values. Read more. 

We provide advocacy services for children with learning differences and supervisions for family law matters.

Our services include:

• Initial consultation (1 hour)
• Consultative services (45 minutes)
• ARD (3 hours)
• Mediation (10 hours)
• 504 meeting (2 hours)
• Resolution session (4 hours)
• Supervision (4 hours)
• Other services (2 hours)

Contact for fee schedule

La Voz de Esperanza is a monthly newsjournal featuring stories, news, poetry and artwork submitted voluntarily by members of our community.

La Voz is a resource for peace, justice, and human rights through written word. It provides a forum for criticism, information, education, humor and other creative works. La Voz provokes bold actions in response to local and global problems, with the knowledge that the many risks we take for the earth, our bodies, and the dignity of all people will result in profound change for the seven generations to come.

Before La Voz issues are sent out, Buena Gente gather at monthly La Voz mailouts to help fold the newsjournal. Any time you can spare to help us fold is appreciated and needed. Sign up as a Buena Gente volunteer or give us a call at 210-228-0201 to sign up.

Click here to submit an article.

Click here to search past issues.

At the Esperanza, we believe in intersections. We invite others to come into our spaces without shedding any of their identities. It is this intersectionality that allows us to approach issues of social justice and peace through multiple lenses. We also believe in thinking beyond ourselves to include issues affecting the earth and the generations that follow.

Our people power strives to Respect Each Other, Respect (Y)our History and Culture and to Respect our Mother Earth.

Click here to learn more about Poder del Pueblo.

Over the years Esperanza has sponsored dozens of pláticas that have taken many forms through readings, lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and community gatherings. These platicas have included visionary local, national and international writers, activists, and community organizers. With an emphasis on critical thinking, Esperanza brings together diverse voices to speak of true and complete social change and to provide concrete skills and information to support activist work.

Through our pláticas, we actively lay the groundwork for building strong multicultural, multiracial and bicultural alliances for struggling together towards a better world for all.

Click here for the latest upcoming Reading and Platicas events.

Justice For All Immigrants provides low-income individuals and families with affordable, high-quality immigration legal services while engaging in immigration education and advocacy.

Legal Services Offered:

FAMILY-BASED IMMIGRATION

• Adjustment of Status
• Consular Processing
• Family Petitions
• Work Permits
• Green Card Renewals

HUMANITARIAN-BASED RELIEF

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Violence Against Women Act
• U Visa
• Asylum
• Removal Defense
• Temporary Protected Status

CITIZENSHIP

• Citizenship
• Naturalization

We also provide Know-Your-Rights training to help immigrants understand their basic rights under U.S. law, educate our community about the value of immigration, and advocate for compassionate immigration reform.?

Call to schedule a consultation.

(Free and low-cost legal services are available thanks to the financial support we receive from individual donations and grants.?)

To qualify for this service, the individual or family must reside in South Texas and be a low-income household.

Citizenship Education:

The Nuevos Ciudadanos Citizenship Education Program is Academia América’s New Americans Project. The Program has the dual goals of integration and civic engagement. The curriculum, modules in Civics, History and English, facilitate preparation for the naturalization examination and promote civic engagement. Financial Literacy education emphasizes social integration.

Legal Services:

Academia América partners with nonprofit legal assistance providers to facilitate access to low-cost legal services to our clients. Students enrolled in our classes receive assistance with completion of the naturalization application and related forms at discounted rates.

Please call 210-910-6363 or visit our Facebook page for registration information.

We provide free assistance with financial counseling, transfer on death deeds, affidavits of heirship, and gift deeds.

Affidavit of Heirship

• Two witnesses
• Date of Death
• Date of Marriage
• Children and Heirs' information (name, DOB, current address)
• If available, bring Death Certificate, Mariage License, and documents indicating "decedent passed without a will" or "will is not probated"

Transfer on Death Deed (ToDD)

A Transfer on death Deed is less complicated and expensive than a Will.  It is a legal document saying who you want to receive your home upon your death.

To complete a ToDD bring:

• Proof of Ownership
• Names and addresses of Primary and Alternative Beneficiaries

Gift Deed

Transfer of ownership of property without receiving any exchange for the transfer.  It is a gift from the property owner to whomever you choose.

To complete a Gift Deed bring:

• Proof of ownership, legal deed
• Name and address of the person(s) receiving the gift
• Your ID
• Legal Description of Property
• Property Tax Assessment or tax bill and related documents

Financial assistance for fees may be available

The Youth Advocacy Council (YAC) is a youth development program that empowers San Antonio area teens to become leaders of change in their community through civic participation at local and state levels. Healthy Futures of Texas engages high school-age youth in outreach, education, and advocacy to increase access to evidence-based sexual health education and to teen-friendly preventive healthcare.

The Youth Advocacy Council is a proud member of the Texas Youth Action Network, a project of DSHS through Texas A&M University.

For more information, or to apply, click here.