Press room

 
 
 
 
 

Our story

Gautam Jagannath and Emily Abraham, fresh out of law school, created SJC in 2012 to address the lack of affordable and free high-quality legal representation for families in removal proceedings.

The experience both founders had before and during law school informed them that many immigrant families were facing deportation proceedings alone, unrepresented, due to a lack of financial means to pay the extremely high cost of private attorneys.

our Mission

SJC’s mission is to ensure low-income immigrants, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, young dreamers, and displaced families are provided with direct legal services and high-quality legal representation in court at little to no cost.

Our vision

SJC envisions and works towards an immigration system where all non-citizens have access to a more empowering and compassionate path to citizenship for free. We believe this is the only way to ensure that justice is served.

OUR VALUES

We value an inclusive society and believe families must stay together, not be divided by borders and deportations.

People are not illegal. No human being should ever have to fight for their human rights to be honored and respected.

SJC works towards an immigration system where all noncitizens are provided free and high-quality legal representation in court. We believe this is the only way to ensure that justice is served.

 
 

Downloadable resources

For statistics on impact and client demographics please refer to our most recent Annual Report

For specific inquiries, please contact communications@socialjusticecollaborative.org

 
 
 
 

Our latest news and updates

 
 

CHANGEMAKERS SUMMIT 2022

March 25th - March 30th

SJC participated in the UnidosUS Changemakers Summit, where we met with legislators, community leaders, partners, and decision-makers to push for long-waited positive changes for our immigrant communities in California.

 

WEBINAR: “PERSPECTIVES ON HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS AND MASS INCARCERATION IN THE AGE OF COVID-19”

March 1st, 2022

Our Founder and Executive Director, Gautam Jagannath, was invited as a panelist for the webinar coordinated by the National Lawyers Guild during the Week Against Mass Incarceration. Gautam shared his expertise on how the immigrant community was affected during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 
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we are a Unidos us affiliate

July 15th, 2021

SJC joined the UnidosUS Affiliate Network for our commitment to helping Latinx and Hispanic communities thrive across California.

 
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Champions of Justice

June 24th, 2021

SJC received the Champion of Justice Award by OneJustice for its commitment to transforming California’s legal aid system and promoting access to justice throughout the state.

 
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SJC celebrates its 9th year anniversary

May 8th, 2021

For 9 years we've devoted our lives to helping asylum seekers regain their power and strength. We've won over 300 asylum cases, but we're not done yet, we won't stop until every immigrant and refugee is welcomed with dignity.

 
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How SJC is leveraging technology to continue empowering and advocating for immigrants

Spring 2021

SJC implemented breakthrough technologies that accelerated remote assistance adoption for immigrants who otherwise would not have accessed services.

 
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Virtual clinics

2020-2021

Our clients are receiving remote legal assistance in filling out their Adjustment of Status forms and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions.

 

Get inspired by our victories

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Todd Nowak
Terry Brown
 
 

lACK OF LEGAL SERVICES IN IMMIGRANT’S NATIVE LANGUAGES LEADS TO DOUBLE EXCLUSION

January 1st, 2024

There’s a growing issue affecting many immigrants from Central America; language barriers in immigration proceedings. Indigenous languages have become prominent in immigration courts, posing a significant challenge for those seeking asylum due to violence in their home communities.

Social Justice Collaborative Searching for Partners in Its Mission to Protect Migrant and Refugee Rights

August 21, 2023

SJC is featured in Business Insider, in an article that highlights SJC’s impactful work and also a significant moment in their ongoing mission to protect immigrant communities.

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Inside the chaos of immigration court

September 2020

Journalist Gabriel Thompson interviews our Founders Emily Abraham and Gautam Jagannath for Longreads

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Coronavirus Crisis Could Mean Minors Get Deported

May 6, 2020

SJC’s Executive Director, Gautam Jagannath, and our Legal Director, Emily Abraham, interviewed by NBC News for their article about having hearings postponed for young clients, meaning they could run out of time and face deportation if their cases are further delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 
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Oakland’s growing Mayan community: “I can hear people speak Mam in every corner.”

September 7, 2018

SJC’s Interpreter and Paralegal, Cristina Mendoza, interviewed by Tatiana Sanchez from The Mercury News’ Bay Area News Group for her article about how the Maya Mam language is positioning in the region and how SJC is adapting to fit into that evolution to maintain a high win rate for more clients who speak that language.

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Massive Backlog of Cases Saddle San Francisco Immigration Court

May 4, 2015 

NBC News features SJC for a short article about the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit discovering that immigrants trying to work within the legal system are getting stuck in a huge and growing backlog.

For Survivors of Domestic Violence, Gaining Asylum Just Got Tougher

July 4th, 2018

SJC’s Founder and Legal Director, Emily Abraham, interviewed by East Bay Express for their article about how backlogs make asylum cases harder to navigate when you face an already slow and complex immigration system.

 

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