Central American Legal Assistance (CALA)

About Central American Legal Assistance (CALA)

Central American Legal Assistance (CALA) is a nonprofit organization in Brooklyn that offers low-cost or free legal help to immigrants in New York. Its stated mission is to protect and defend Central and South American asylum seekers and to advance the civil rights of all immigrants. The organization calls itself a 501(c)(3) corporation that depends on donations, and it has served newly arrived immigrants since 1985. Its bilingual staff provide advice, counseling and legal representation from a base inside a Brooklyn church.

CALA's immigration work includes defending cases before New York City immigration courts, both detained and non-detained. Listed matters include asylum claims, DACA cases for students, Temporary Protected Status applications, and cancellation of removal based on hardship to U.S. citizen relatives. Directory listings also mention consular processing, USCIS filings, and representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal courts. The organization uses a sliding fee scale, some services are free, and it offers free same-day consultations on immigration status. Its office is at 240 Hooper Street in Brooklyn, and directories list counties served across New York City and surrounding areas.

Practice areas

Areas of work that Central American Legal Assistance (CALA) describes on its own website. They describe the organization as a whole, not the practice of any individual attorney listed below.

Organization profile based on its official website and public sources (reviewed October 30, 2026). Attorney list from the New York State Unified Court System registration data. Not affiliated with Central American Legal Assistance (CALA).

Registered attorneys

Registration status can change at any time. Confirm any attorney's current status through the official New York Attorney Search.