How does it work?
- This helpline operates as a non-emergency service.
- Callers are asked to leave a voicemail with their contact details and their inquiry (without disclosing any client-specific information).
- The MIRA Helpline staff will review voicemails to assess urgency, directing urgent inquiries to our Staff Attorney for immediate response.
- If a caller seeks resources, these will be sent via email.
- For all other matters requiring an attorney’s response, the Helpline staff will arrange a callback and provide further instructions.
- For expedited service, providers are encouraged to fill out the online intake form. Once the form is submitted, providers don’t need to call the helpline, the team will reach out to them with a response to their inquiry.
Why is this significant?
The MIRA Coalition, supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, is set to launch an immigration helpline for service providers in Massachusetts on March 27th, 2024. This helpline number is open to all Massachusetts-based providers serving immigrants and refugees and accepts voicemails 24/7 at (508) 293-1871.
Through this helpline, MIRA aims to provide community-based organizations with answers to the most commonly asked legal questions. By building on the community knowledge, providers will be able to better serve the immigrant and refugee population.
Legal immigration organizations are facing increasing demands, while many immigrants face long wait times. This helpline will expand the capacity of the immigration legal services community by offering a channel for calls that would otherwise be routed to them. This will give attorneys to focus on more complicated matters.
As immigrants encounter prolonged wait times for legal support, many unwittingly turn to notarios, who are unlicensed practitioners of law. By engaging with community providers, we can help prevent notario fraud by ensuring that more members of our community are trained to identify and caution against unauthorized practice of immigration law before it occurs.
Please submit inquiries here