Catholic Charities Staff Receives DOJ Accreditation For Immigration Services
News Release
FORT WAYNE — Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend has announced Immigration Services Case Manager Maria Sutherland’s application for partial accreditation has been approved by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Access Programs.
As an accredited representative, Sutherland is now permitted to provide legal representation as a non-attorney through Catholic Charities, a DOJ Recognized Organization. The DOJ accreditation is issued through the Recognition and Accreditation Program, a process developed by federal regulations with the intention of expanding competent legal access to low-income and indigent individuals in their immigration journey. As a partially accredited representative, Sutherland can now practice immigration law before the Department of Homeland Security.
The accreditation process is a vital tool that allows DOJ Recognized Organizations to provide safe, accurate and affordable legal advice and representation to immigrants in our community. The ability of qualified non-attorney staff to provide legal aid for clients allows Catholic Charities to keep services affordable, while the level of training and oversight involved in the process of receiving accreditation ensures that clients receive accurate and up-to-date legal information and guidance from staff.
“Without the option of accessing legal aid through DOJ Accredited Representatives at DOJ Recognized Agencies, our clients are at risk of becoming victims of predatory or well-intentioned, but inexperienced legal services that can cause irreparable harm to their immigration opportunities and even lead to deportation and family separation,” said Luz Ostrognai, director of immigration services at Catholic Charities.
Catholic Charities has been a DOJ Recognized Organization for over 20 years. As our newest Partially Accredited Representative, Sutherland joins Ostrognai, a DOJ Accredited Representative since 2002. Ostrognai has been managing the immigration program at Catholic Charities since 2005 and became a fully accredited representative in 2020, allowing our agency to offer expanded legal services which include legal representation before the EOIR, including representation in Immigration Courts and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“We are happy to announce this wonderful achievement by Maria,” said Ostrognai. “We are so thankful for the financial support from the Saint Joseph Community Health Foundation which made this achievement possible, and as always we appreciate the recognition and support of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. We look forward to this opportunity for our agency to offer even more immigration support to our community!”
Catholic Charities is a 501 (c) 3 incorporated in the state of Indiana to act as the coordinating and administrative agency for the charitable activities assigned to it by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The service area for Catholic Charities includes the 14 counties of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, serving a population of about 1.25 million people. In addition to Fort Wayne and South Bend, Catholic Charities has an office in Auburn.
