Undergraduate Internship- Detention Hotline

Description

Who We Are

The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is now Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (“Amica Center” for short). Click here to learn more about our new name. Since our founding in 1999, we have grown significantly and added new services to support immigrants in detention. Recently, Amica Center has outgrown our name, expanding beyond our initial services and geographic boundaries.

“Amica” is the Latin word for “friend,” and that echoes the way we approach what we do. Just as friends stand with one another, Amica Center stands with our clients to achieve the safety, stability, and opportunity we all deserve.

We are the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area that is exclusively focused on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region and beyond.

Position Summary

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights is looking for four undergraduate students to support our Detention Hotline, which connects noncitizen adults held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody to Amica Center staff for legal education and legal representation. Our Detention Hotline can receive calls from anyone detained in ICE facilities in Virginia, as well as from residents of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia who are detained in other states.

The Detention Hotline Interns will be answering and fielding calls from detained immigrants to our legal staff and fielding messages to answer their questions. They will also conduct legal intakes with clients over the phone, which is the first step in our case distribution process. The Detention Hotline Interns will also assist with other administrative tasks relating to the Detention Hotline and client services, including data entry, document translation, and interpreting (depending on Spanish fluency level). This position will give students the opportunity to utilize and improve their oral Spanish skills and learn more about immigration law, specifically deportation defense

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2025. Our Fall Internship Program requires a commitment of at least 10 weeks, starting on or around September 2, 2025. This will be a part-time internship consisting of 10-25 hours per week. 

Applicants from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. If relevant, please discuss in your application how your background motivates your interest in this position or otherwise affects your career goals.

Internships are unpaid; however, Amica Center can assist students seeking internship credit or funding.

Remote Work:

To keep our internships accessible to all students regardless of geographic location, this Fall 2025 internships will be remote. We encourage applicants from local universities, as well as those from outside the D.C. area, to apply. While there will be no requirement that interns conduct any in-person work during their internships, interns may have the opportunity to appear in-person if they are comfortable doing so. There will also be opportunities for occasional in-office work, in-person meetings, and events with staff and fellow interns.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

Detention Hotline (60%) 

• Staff the detention hotline and help detained immigrant individuals access legal services by:
• connecting callers with Amica Center legal staff 
• delivering follow-up messages relating to individual’s cases 
• providing information about Amica Center’s upcoming jail visits 
• Data entry relating to client information and interactions over the detention hotline 

Direct Representation Intaking (20%) 

• Conduct telephonic intake interviews with immigrant individuals in detention
• Data entry and document organization related to direct representation client intaking 

Translation & Interpreting (10%) 

• Translate documents to be submitted to court in support of the legal immigration cases of clients and pro se individuals 
• Documents include declarations, letters of support, birth certificates, and news articles 
• Interpret calls between Amica Center attorneys and their clients 
• Types of calls include declaration readbacks, hearing prep, offers of legal representation, witness interviews, etc.

Additional Responsibilities (10%) 

• Provide training and support for volunteers staffing the detention hotline 
• Attend training opportunities within the office 
• Data entry related to the volunteer program 
• Supporting on other projects within the Volunteer Program and Client Services as capacity and interest allow 

Application Process:

To be considered for the internship, please fill out this application form and attach the following materials in .pdf format:

• A cover letter indicating your interest in the position. Please describe what experiences, personal or professional, have motivated you to apply.
• A resume; and
• At least 2 references;

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interviews may be scheduled and offers given before the deadline, so please apply as soon as you are able.

Application Deadline: Friday, March 28, 2025.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Must be pursuing an undergraduate degree 
• Must be 18 or older 
• Working professional proficiency in Spanish required; Spanish fluency preferred 
• Customer service skills including experience communicating with diverse audiences 
• Ease with technology and proficiency in a variety of basic computer programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook 
• Quick learner & adaptable, with proven ability to learn new software or technology 
• Highly organized and self-motivated 
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills 

Required Resources Given the remote / hybrid nature of this internship, all interns must also have access to:

• A laptop or computer (*);
• Reliable internet;
• A phone.

*Amica Center may be able to provide access to a temporary laptop as needed