Immigration courts are facing a severe crisis of representation. Most people, including children, detained while fighting deportation do not have lawyers, yet they are expected to navigate one of the most complex legal systems in the country while incarcerated and under strict deadlines. Representing Clients in Immigration Detention: Adelanto, California is a short, beginner-friendly practice guide written for clinical law students and new attorneys stepping into detained immigration work for the first time. Its purpose is simple but urgent: to make representation more accessible so more advocates can step in.
Isabelle Pimenta is an immigration advocate dedicated to expanding access to practical, client-centered legal resources. She earned her Master’s degree in International Affairs from California State University, Long Beach, where she developed this handbook as part of a client-serving capstone project. Isabelle’s commitment to immigration work is deeply personal. As a Brazilian immigrant who navigated the immigration system as a teenager while growing up in Boston, she witnessed firsthand the complexities, uncertainties, and emotional weight of the system. Surrounded by immigrant communities and shaped by her own experience, she felt called to pursue a path that would allow her to give back to the community that shaped her.
The idea for this handbook emerged from her work alongside young associates taking on pro bono immigration matters without prior experience. Recognizing both the urgent need for representation and the steep learning curve new advocates face, she created this guide to provide clarity, structure, and confidence to those stepping into immigration work for the first time. Isabelle aspires to become an immigration attorney and remains committed to empowering immigrant communities and strengthening access to justice.]
The handbook walks readers through the real mechanics of detained practice — who controls custody, who runs the courts, and how cases actually move. It explains proceedings before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, breaks down master calendar hearings, bond hearings, merits trials, and withholding-only cases, and offers practical, step-by-step guidance on client communication, filings, and evidence gathering.
Detention itself is a barrier to justice. Without counsel, many people lose their cases simply because the system is impossible to navigate alone. By equipping new advocates with a clear roadmap into detained practice, the handbook is both a training tool and a call to action in an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ moment for the legal community.
Join CourtWatch Los Angeles on May 12 at noon for our next immigration court watch training. A portion of the training will include protocol and safety procedures for volunteers interested in accompaniment. Register here.
View and download A Handbook for New Advocates Representing Clients Detained in Adelanto by Isabelle Pimenta below.
