St. John’s Law Answers the Call for Immigration Information Phone Bank Volunteers

The New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Catholic Charities partnered recently to host a free immigration information phone bank to help New Yorkers access legal resources and referrals. Collaborating with the New York State Office for New Americans and Telemundo, they put out a call for volunteers who could provide confidential and multilingual guidance on immigration-related issues.

When Professor Jennifer Baum, Director of the Law School’s in-house Child Advocacy Clinic, told her students about the initiative, Nicole Castillo Guiracocha ’25 was quick to volunteer. To prepare, she attended a training session covering phone bank operations, volunteers’ roles, and frequently asked questions. Then, on the day of the phone bank, she fielded calls remotely as they were routed through an app on her laptop.

“I began each call with a brief prepared introduction in Spanish, emphasizing confidentiality and thanking the caller for reaching out,” Castillo Guiracocha says. “Many callers sought basic guidance on documents they need to have readily available in case they are apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Others had complex legal questions that I couldn’t address directly. But even in those cases, I reviewed the callers’ rights to ensure they were fully informed. I also referred every caller to a legal nonprofit in their area.”

It was a successful effort. As recapped by Catholic Charities, in just over two hours, Castillo Guiracocha, Professor Baum, and the wider pool of phone bank volunteers helped 338 people understand their rights if they encounter ICE at home or in another private space, or get stopped in a car or public space. The volunteers also addressed callers’ concerns about ICE in schools, helped them practice invoking their right to remain silent, and discussed how to create a safety plan for their family.

As she answered calls, Castillo Guiracocha tapped knowledge and skills she gained in the Child Advocacy Clinic. “Some of our Clinic clients were at heightened risk of needing a standby guardian, which is a person designated to temporarily care for a child if the parent is unable to do so,” she explains. “We helped clients complete the forms needed to make that designation. “During the phone bank, I was able to provide callers with information about standby guardianship as part of broader discussions about family planning and preparedness.”

It was a meaningful experience. “The most rewarding part of volunteering for the phone bank was the gratitude expressed by every caller,” Castillo Guiracocha shares. “Helping them has reinforced my commitment to pursuing public interest work full time after I graduate from St. John’s Law in May.” Like her student, Professor Baum appreciated the opportunity to help others, and recognized the symmetries between the phone bank and the Clinic’s work. 

“It was a privilege to support our amazing St. John’s Law students in giving back to our New York City community,” she says. “They were able to use their growing skills in interviewing, counseling, and analyzing to provide critical information to a population in need. They also experienced how lawyers can serve and uplift people who might not have the knowledge, resources, or power required to navigate legal challenges on their own. Serving the greater good is the essence of the work we do in the Law School’s clinics. The immigration information phone bank gave our students, and all the volunteers, a wonderful opportunity to experience service in action.”

End note: Many thanks to the St. John’s Law community members who answered the call for phone bank volunteers, including Ermina Sedy ’27, who took time out of her busy 1L schedule to help. Assisting underrepresented and underserved New Yorkers is at the heart of St. John’s Vincentian mission, which the Law School has celebrated and animated for 100 years.