Getting advice as an immigrant.

I know many immigrants. I write about immigration and people's experience and faith. On more than one occasion I have been asked a question to which I have responded that I think I am not qualified to answer and the question should be asked of someone who knows more than I do.

I am reading Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate
by Jenny Huang and Matthew Soerens. A footnote on page 38 has this to say, and I repeat it here for your information:

In order to avoid receiving inaccurate and possibly unethical legal advice, immigrants should not accept immigration advice from anyone other than an immigration attorney or nonprofit organization that is recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). A list of BIA-recognized organizations and accredited individuals at those organizations is maintained by the Executive Office for Immigration Review of the U. W. Department of Justice and can be found at www.justice.gov/eoir/statspub/raroster.htm . Churches and other nonprofit organizations that want to assist immigrants with immigration legal services should undergo the training necessary to become recognized by the BIA, because without adequate knowledge well-meaning people can actually do irrevocable harm to an immigrant seeking advice.