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(https://amicacenter.org/about-us/introducing-the-amica-center-for-immigr...) 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 five 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 across the US, with most calls coming from individuals detained in Virginia, as well as from residents of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia who are detained in other states. The Detention Hotline also receives calls from non-detained individuals looking for legal referrals for their loved ones or themselves.

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 administrative tasks relating to the Detention Hotline and client services, including data entry, document translation and document translation coordination, 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 intern applications for Spring 2026. Our Spring Internship Program requires a commitment of at least 14 weeks, starting on or around January 20, 2026. This will be a part-time or full-time internship consisting of at least 20-30 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.

Scholarship Opportunity:
Amica Center for Immigrant Rights invites all prospective interns to apply for the Amica Center Scholarship for the Spring 2026 semester. Amica Center will distribute four $1,000 tax-free* scholarships to eligible interns for the primary purpose of educational and professional development. To learn more, please visit https://amicacenter.org/join-the-fight/careers-internships/.

*Scholarship funds are intended to be used to pay for tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at an educational institution, or for fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses at the institution. Scholarship recipients are advised to speak to a tax-expert and report the scholarship funds in their gross income to the IRS.

Remote Work:
To keep our internships accessible to all students regardless of geographic location, this Spring 2026 internships may be remote. We encourage applicants from local law schools and those from outside the D.C. area to apply. There is no requirement that interns conduct any in-person work during their internships, but interns may have the opportunity to appear in or observe court in person. There will be opportunities for in-office work, in-person meetings, and events with staff and fellow interns in compliance with Amica Center’s COVID-19 policies.

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
Document Translation Coordination (15%)
• Coordinate document translations for pro se individuals in detention. Coordination includes submitting the translation request to our volunteer program, receiving the translated document back from the translator, and mailing or faxing the translated document back to the pro se individual.
Translation & Interpreting (15%)
• 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%)
• Conduct telephonic intake interviews with immigrant individuals in detention and enter intake data into our client database
• Remotely observe detained master calendar hearings and bond hearings
• Attend immigration law training opportunities
• Supporting on other projects within the Detention Hotline, the Volunteer Program, and Client Services as capacity and interest allow

APPLICATION PROCESS:
To be considered for the internship, please fill out the application link below and attach the following materials in .pdf format to your Paylocity application.
• A cover letter indicating your interest in the position. Please describe what experiences, personal and professional, have motivated you to apply.
• A resume;
• At least 2 references; and
• A writing sample. In addition to legal memoranda and briefs, research papers and articles are accepted. Only one writing sample is required and preferred.
Please apply to ONLY ONE department within Amica Center. For example, if you apply for this internship with the Immigration Impact Lab, please do not also apply for an internship with the Detained Adult Program. Please choose the department that best matches your preference, skills, and experience.

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.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: October 31, 2026