The South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR) is a project of the American Bar Association that empowers immigrants through high-quality legal education, representation, and connections to services. Founded in 1989, ProBAR serves immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley, with a particular focus on the legal needs of adults and unaccompanied children in federal immigration custody. We also provide services to individuals subject to the Migrant Protection Protocols program in our region.

There are a number of ways in which interested attorneys, law students, recent law graduates, legal assistants, and interpreters may participate.

Needs During COVID-19:

• ProBAR’s priority need at this time is for pro bono attorneys to accept cases for remote representation. Priority case types include bond, parole, and appeals cases.

Ongoing Needs: Under ordinary circumstances, volunteers can participate in the following ways:

• Spanish-speaking attorneys volunteer in Harlingen for an extended period of one month or more;
• Attorneys provide pro bono representation to a client in removal proceedings, arranging to be physically present in the Rio Grande Valley when needed for meetings and hearings;
• Individuals with the ability to translate documents into English from various languages;
• Volunteer attorneys outside of South Texas represent on appeal applicants denied asylum in immigration courts, or assist persons applying for asylum in their own communities; and
• Experienced immigration attorneys present seminars and serve as attorney mentors to ProBAR volunteers.