Opened in September of 2010 to offer the community low-cost legal services, know your rights training’s, and provide a space for community education and empowerment. Further, we seek to gain justice for our communities by challenging unjust laws and protecting rights for migrants, workers, victims, and families.
This would include challenging ICE and law enforcement violations of constitutionally protected rights, violations of worker protections, laws that separate families, and human rights issues such as the right to be free of discrimination (gender, lgbt, age, race, ability, etc.), the right to an education, housing, and food, and the right to struggle against and fight for these and other rights.
Castillo Immigration Law is located in Montebello, neighboring East Los Angeles and provides affordable legal representation to the community.
To build a community law practice model that provides effective legal assistance for working class and low-income communities who would otherwise not have access to representation–while creating opportunities for education, development, participation of all involved on multiple levels: within our practice, communities, and in the broader struggle for human rights.
Respect – for each other, all community members involved, and for efforts to organize
Excellence – in our work product, our organizing efforts, and our systems.
Accountability – to ourselves, our practice team, our community, the courts/our systems.
Community – to strive to remain grounded in humility and to be true to our words.
Honesty – to educate each other on processes, limitations, and outcomes; at all costs.
She is a graduate of the University of California at Davis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School of Law and graduated with a King Hall Public Service Law Program certificate for service to the community as a law student. She and other classmates were instrumental in organizing students and community members in mass demonstrations in 2006. As an attorney, Ms. Castillo has represented clients in the areas of immigration, criminal law, family law, and employment law.
However, she specializes in immigration law, primarily in defense and detention cases, most cases involving criminal issues. She has entered appearances before the Ninth Circuit, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and federal and state courts throughout California.
Mercedes is a member of the National Immigration Law Project of the National Lawyers Guild, the Federal Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the Latina Lawyers Bar Association. Ms. Castillo has also actively participated in national and international conferences on human rights. In 2006, she received the C.B. King Award for her activism as a law student. Ms. Castillo served as the National Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild (2006-2008) and as the Chair of the National Latina/o Law Students Association (2004-2006).
Ms. Castillo has published articles on using the law in activism, speaks regularly at events in the community, and has promoted a community law practice model in East Los Angeles and Montebello.
Our customer’s feedback and experience are the most important part of what we do and are what motivate us to strive forward.
Monday ……….. 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday ………. 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday… 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday …….. 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday ……………. 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday……………………………….. Closed
Sunday ……………………………………Closed
Saturdays by appointment only
