Who We Are

Mission Statement
Kingston Legal Services (KLS) is a New York–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ensuring access to high-quality legal representation for immigrant New Yorkers. KLS works to advance justice by providing free and low-cost legal services. 

History
Founded in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kingston Legal Services emerged in response to the acute legal needs created by a public health and economic crisis. From its base in Ulster County, the organization initially served residents of the Catskills and the broader Hudson Valley, providing critical legal assistance at a time when courts, social services, and community organizations were strained or inaccessible. 

With the end of formal public health-related border restrictions in 2022, the United States experienced a wave of migration. In response to this and the acute need to support arriving migrants in New York City particularly, Kingston Legal Services expanded its mission and geographic reach to New York City. 

Kingston Legal Services’ attorneys have served thousands of clients across New York State, providing high-quality, free or low cost affirmative and defensive immigration representation before USCIS, the Executive Office for Immigration Review ("EOIR"), the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") and in the federal courts.