Undergraduate Internship- Detention Hotline

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (Amica Center) • Washington, DC

20h • Remote

About The Position

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights is looking for four 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 Summer 2026. Our Summer Internship program asks for a commitment of 35 hours a week for at least 10 weeks, starting on or about May 26, 2026.

Requirements

• Must be pursuing an undergraduate degree
• Must be 18 or older
• Working professional proficiency in Spanish required; Spanish fluency preferred
• Customer service skills including experience communicating with diverse audiences
• Ease with technology and proficiency in a variety of basic computer programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook
• Quick learner & adaptable, with proven ability to learn new software or technology
• Highly organized and self-motivated
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills
• A laptop or computer ();
• Reliable internet; and
• A phone

Responsibilities

• 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
• Administrative tasks to prepare for hotline shifts and share information with the Know Your Rights team
• 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.
• 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.
• 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

Benefits

• Amica Center can assist students seeking internship credit or funding.
• Amica Center will distribute four $1,000 tax-free scholarships to eligible interns for the primary purpose of educational and professional development.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern