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Immigration Concerns Resource Page

Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship

Have questions about your immigration status? Call 617-405-5479

The Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights & Citizenship (CIRC), in collaboration with the De Novo Center for Justice and Healing, provides a free, Virtual Immigration Legal Screening Clinic on the first Wednesday of every month. 

Here is how the process works:

  • You can call the number above and leave a message with your information.
  • De Novo Staff will review messages and follow-up with any additional questions.
  • You will receive a call from a volunteer attorney, based on their practice area and language when possible.
  • Volunteer attorneys can provide brief advice, screen for immigration legal needs, and refer you to additional legal resources, if appropriate.

Click here for the English flyer with the 2025 clinic dates.

The flyer is available to download in the following languages:

አማርኛ (Amharic) | عربي (Arabic) | বাংলা (Bangla) | 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese) | Español (Spanish) | Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole) | Português (Portuguese) | Français (French) | हिन्दी Hindi |

  

What is public charge?

Immigration officials use a "public charge test" to decide if a person can enter the U.S. or get a green card. Officials look at a person's income, employment, health, education, skills, and family situation. They can see whether a sponsor signed a contract, called “affidavit of support” promising to support the person. Officials can also look at whether a person has used specific benefit programs.

Note: The public charge test does not apply to green card holders who are applying for U.S. citizenship.

Check the Protecting Immigrant Families website website for updates about changes to immigration policies. Click here to learn more on how to navigate the Public Charge Rule change.

Click here for the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) webpage with local information and resources

How can I find resources to help me know my rights?

Where can I find updates about TPS and DACA?

Click here for updates about Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Click here for updates about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Learn more on the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) website. MIRA works with Massachusetts legal services to have up to date resources.

The information and materials provided at the website links above were not created by the City of Cambridge and the City of Cambridge does not adopt any positions contained therein. The City of Cambridge is not providing legal advice. These materials were created by other organizations and if you have any questions or are seeking legal advice you should contact those organizations or your own attorney.

Legal Resources and Referrals

De Novo
47 Thorndike St., Suite SB-LL-1 (lower level)
Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 349-4396
http://www.cambridgema.gov/circ

The City of Cambridge and De Novo will hold a Virtual Immigration Legal Screening Clinic on the third Wednesday of each month, providing limited consultations, while City and De Novo offices are closed to public gatherings.

Callers to the Virtual Clinic Message Line at 617- 405-5479 will be asked to leave their name and contact phone number. Callers can leave a message at any time before the noon deadline on the third Wednesday of the month.

A return call from De Novo staff will ask some pertinent questions to enable assignment to an Immigration Attorney, who will contact callers for a limited consultation. Attorneys will return their assigned calls within a few days of receiving their assignments. Calls received by 12 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month will be returned within 3-4 business days.

Once capacity for the clinic is reached, additional callers will be assigned to the next Virtual Clinic, should it be necessary.

Rian Immigrant Center*
One State Street, Suite 800
Boston, MA 02109
(617) 542-7654
https://www.riancenter.org/

Catholic Charities Refugee & Immigrant Services*
275 West Broadway
South Boston, MA 02127
(617) 464-8100
http://www.ccab.org/

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement*
Boston City Hall
1 City Hall Square, Rm. 806
Boston, MA 02201
(617) 635-2980
https://www.boston.gov/departments/immigrant-advancement

* The City is not affiliated with and does not endorse the agencies listed above.

 

Community Resources for Immigrants

Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship (CIRC) 

The Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship (CIRC) was formed over the summer of 2016 to address the concerns of Cambridge’s immigrant communities, particularly with regard to rights and citizenship. CIRC works to centralize information regarding referrals to, and guidance about, available resources,  offering and providing technical assistance to other public agencies and private persons, organizations and institutions engaged in activities and programs intended to support immigrant rights and citizenship. It will be a goal of this committee to get that message of welcome out, through collaboration with organizations that already provide services and outreach to our immigrant population. By providing information about available services and resources for new immigrants, we can support the efforts of other service providers and reaffirm Cambridge’s commitment to diversity and immigrant welcome. 

Commission on Immigrant Rights & Citizenship 
51 Inman St. 2nd Flr., Cambridge, MA 02139 
(617) 349-4396 
nschlacter@cambridgema.gov  

The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP)

DHSP oversees a number of immigrant-serving programs, including the following: 

Community Learning Center (CLC):  
The Community Learning Center helps adults improve their lives and increase their community participation through free educational programs and services. These services include: English language classes;Classes in basic reading, writing, and math; Preparation for High School Equivalency examinations; Preparation for college [The Bridge Program] or a training program; and Preparation for the U.S. citizenship test. The CLC also offers free educational and career counseling, tutoring, and basic computer instruction.  
 
Community Learning Center 
5 Western Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 
(617) 349-6200 

Community Engagement Team (CET)

The CET, a multi-agency collaborative, reaches out to underserved Cambridge families and connects them to community events and resources, develops community leaders, and supports agencies in working with a diverse community. Some of the major goals for the CET include: Helping Cambridge families become aware of and connected to services and activities that help them thrive and participate in community life; Identifying new grassroots leaders that will help shape community life to benefit underserved communities; Helping Cambridge agencies to be more effective in reaching out to diverse populations and providing them with the support they need to thrive;  Being recognized as a valuable resource that helps shape priorities and policies; A large component of this effort is hiring and training community members (American Born Black, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Ethiopian, Haitian, Somalian, and Spanish and Arabic speaking) as outreach workers to reach out to and engage underserved families in early childhood activities and services. In order to increase Cambridge programs’ knowledge of immigrant and minority communities, Networking Events are held 3 times per year in an effort to share best community engagement practices and to encourage programs to adjust their practices to become more welcoming to diverse communities.  
 
Community Engagement Team 
5 Western Avenue 
Cambridge, MA 02139 
(617) 349-6278 or 617 349-3002 

Agenda For Children  

The Agenda for Children Out of School Time (OST) Initiative’s mission is to ensure the highest quality OST opportunities and experiences for all Cambridge children, youth and families. They do this by convening, catalyzing and supporting Cambridge’s youth serving community to collectively develop and implement common purpose and goals, shared data, and ways to hold each other accountable, with a shared vision of equitable opportunities for youth and collaborative access to resources and supports. 
 
Agenda For Children 
51 Inman Street 
Cambridge, MA 02139 
(617) 349-4099 

Center for Families

The Center for Families offers Cambridge families with children birth-8 parenting education and support programs held throughout the city. Programs include: Babytime Infant Drop-in Playgroups / Parent Support Groups;  Infant Massage and Developmental support; Community Playgroups; Drop-in playgroups; Parenting Education Workshops; Moms Support Groups; Programs just for Dads;  
Fun Family Events; Discover Group for 5-8 year olds; Information and Referrals to Community Services; and Concrete Support in Times of Need. The Center for Families has staff that speak 13 different languages. 
 
Center for Families 
70 Rindge Avenue c/o Peabody School 
Cambridge, MA 02140 
(617) 349-6385 

The Cambridge Multi-Service Center (MSC) 

The Multi-Service Center (MSC) addresses the needs of homeless and near-homeless individuals and families living in our community. MSC provide direct services, planning and coordination of efforts for persons who are living on the street, in emergency shelters or at risk of losing their housing. MSC works to prevent evictions and resolve landlord-tenant problems through case management, advocacy and budget counseling. MSC also has a transitional living program for homeless men. Additionally, MSC provides assistance in applying for public benefits, financial counseling, legal services, and accessing mental health and substance abuse services.  
 
In addition, Cambridge Haitian Services, working through MSC, offers a variety of social services to Cambridge’s Haitian population, including: case management, information and referral, Haitian Creole interpretation, as well as, immigration and citizenship assistance.  
 
Cambridge Multi-Service Center for the Homeless 
362 Green Street 
Cambridge, MA 02138 
(617) 349-6340 

Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD)

The Cambridge Public Health Department upholds national standards for local public health departments, known as the 10 Essential Public Health Services. These standards were developed within nationally recognized frameworks, and with input from public health professionals and elected officials from across the country. They include: Monitor health status to identify community health problems; Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community; Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues; Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems; Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts; Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety; Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable; Assure a competent public health and personal healthcare workforce; Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services; Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems. These obligations are met through the work of the DPH, the Cambridge Health Alliance’s clinical and community affairs programs, various city departments including Inspectional Services, and community-based organizations. Translation services for DPH clients are an integral part of service delivery for these clients. 

Cambridge Public Health Department 
119 Windsor Street, Ground Level 
Cambridge, MA 02139 
(617) 665-3800 

Cambridge Human Rights Commission (CHRC) 

The Cambridge Human Rights Commission (CHRC) is a city law enforcement agency that investigates complaints of discrimination that occur in Cambridge -- in housing, employment, education and public accommodations. The Commission enforces two ordinances: the Cambridge Human Rights Ordinance, chapter 2.76 and the Cambridge Fair Housing Ordinance, chapter 14.04. These laws prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender, physical and mental disability, sexual orientation, religion, age, family status, marital status, military status and source of income. CHRC also works with HUD to enforce the Federal Fair Housing Act. The Commission aids the City of Cambridge by educating both businesses and residents, providing community outreach about discrimination laws, and cooperating with other city, state and federal agencies. The Commission is available to conduct workshop presentations on fair housing and employment discrimination for community groups, social service agencies, and schools. CHRC has employees who are fluent in Spanish, French and Haitian Creole. 
Cambridge Human Rights Commission 
51 Inman Street, 2nd Flr. 
Cambridge, MA 02139 
(617) 349-4396 

Page was last modified on 2/19/2025 12:16 PM
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