Canal District families facing immigration cases will have access to more free legal help after Canal Alliance announced a partnership with UnidosUS to recruit volunteer attorneys for its pro bono program.

The San Rafael nonprofit, which serves the Canal neighborhood's immigrant community, published the partnership announcement on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The expansion targets urgent immigration cases, with Canal Alliance seeking to bring in more pro bono lawyers to supplement its existing Immigration Legal Services team.

Canal Alliance is already hiring to make it happen. A job posting dated July 31 lists a full-time Staff Attorney and Pro Bono Coordinator position at $85,000–$95,000. The role calls for someone with at least three years of immigration law experience, California bar licensure preferred and bilingual English-Spanish fluency required. The coordinator will recruit volunteer attorneys from local law firms, bar associations and law schools, then train and manage those volunteers on active cases.

The nonprofit's legal team currently handles DACA renewals, public charge consultations, asylum cases for minors, green card applications and Temporary Protected Status filings, according to Canal Alliance's legal services page. The pro bono expansion would add capacity on top of that existing caseload.

UnidosUS, founded in 1968, is the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization with a network of nearly 300 community-based affiliates. The group has partnered with legal service providers before; in 2014, it worked with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network to expand immigration legal capacity at affiliates nationwide.

The announcement comes during a period of heightened immigration enforcement concerns in Marin County. The Board of Supervisors recently joined a 26-jurisdiction coalition opposing a proposed ICE facility near Gilroy, according to KTVU. A court hearing on that case is scheduled for Sept. 8.

Marilyn Santos, writing on Canal Alliance's blog, said the organization is expanding how it supports families facing urgent legal challenges and that the UnidosUS partnership will increase its capacity to respond to urgent immigration cases while continuing comprehensive community support services including a weekly food pantry and rental assistance.

The Staff Attorney–Pro Bono Coordinator position appears to remain open, with the listing seeking candidates who can build relationships across Marin County's legal community to staff the expanded program.