The Justice Department’s Recognition and Accreditation (R&A) program, which certifies nonprofit representatives to assist indigent immigrants with legal matters, has ceased approving new applications since March after its senior attorneys were reassigned, according to sources familiar with the program.
The R&A program operates under the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and authorizes non-attorneys from largely faith-based organizations, such as Catholic Charities and Jewish Family Services, to provide assistance with naturalization petitions and immigration court representation.
About a month ago, the small team of senior DOJ attorneys responsible for renewing and approving accreditation applications were transferred without public explanation to nearby immigration courts. The only staff remaining in the office are support personnel who lack the legal authority to process applications.
Despite these staffing changes, the office continues to receive between 40 and 60 new accreditation applications weekly, but none have been approved or renewed since the reassignments, one of the sources said.
The Justice Department previously stated the program is not being shut down and assured it would continue operations. However, a DOJ spokesperson did not respond to a recent request for comment.
Impact on Legal Aid Organizations
Rocío Pulido, director for capacity building at the Resurrection Project in Chicago, described the program’s setbacks as severely hindering the ability of organizations to provide legal services to undocumented immigrants.
“In Illinois, we have a huge undocumented immigrant population and there’s just such a demand for immigration legal services. And we can’t meet that demand with attorneys alone,” Pulido said.
The Resurrection Project not only employs accredited representatives but also trains others and funds legal aid groups statewide, meaning delays in accreditation directly impact their capacity to serve clients.
Following initial reports of the DOJ office’s staffing changes, over 330 nonprofits participating in the R&A program sent a joint letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and EOIR Director Daren Margolin. The letter highlighted that, although processing times had stretched to six to eight months in 2025 due to understaffing, the complete reassignment of federal staff has now created significant setbacks for legal service providers and EOIR.
The groups urged the Justice Department to act immediately to restore the R&A program to full functionality.
Why it matters
The R&A program plays a critical role in expanding legal aid for low-income immigrants by certifying accredited representatives who are not attorneys but provide vital legal support. Delays in application approvals restrict the number of authorized representatives, hampering nonprofit organizations’ ability to meet the growing demand for immigration legal services amid a large undocumented immigrant population.
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