Catholic Charities Legal Services Archdiocese of Miami Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Immigration legal aid and awareness To provide professional legal services to those who come from foreign lands who lack sufficient means to obtain representation withouth regard to faith or national origin.
- Income
- $12.3 million
- Spending
- $9.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 3.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 63%
- Employees
- 107
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $152,716, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 81 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 26% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 24% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 43% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (13)
- $1.1 million spent. Cuban/Haitian Refugee Entrant Program - CCLS provides services to Cuban/ Haitian nationals to gain work authorization, legal residency and utltimately put them on a path towards citizenship. The purpose of the program is to assist refugees to achieve economic self-sufficiency and social adjustment within the shortest possible time after their arrival in the United States. In FY 2025, we provided 2,649 services under the Refugee Assistance Program.
- $556,175 spent. Legal Orientation/Detention Program - CCLS educates detainees in their immigration and legal rights. The program strives to educate immigrants that are detained so they can be prepared to represent themselves should the need arise. CCLS provides 1)US immigration laws orientation to detainees both individually and in small groups, 2)workshops which assist unrepresented detainees in helping themselves in pursuing legal relief, including collecting legal documents and preparing papers, and 3) recruitment, training and mentoring to pro bono attorneys to represent detainees. Building on the expertise of program, CCLS provides pro bono representation to detainees found to be mentally incompetent to represent themselves in removal proceedings. Approximately 500 individuals per month received legal orientation. Additionally, CCLS has represented detained individuals found to be mentally incompetent.
- $1.4 million spent. NATZ and Community Outreach - Presentations are presented at adult education centers and other community sites on the naturalization application process and other immigration issues. Application workshops and referrals to probono attorneys are provided Additionally, CCLS provides a computer lab where naturalization applicants are able to complete their own naturalization applications using an online software product. In 2025, 529 citizenship applications were completed.In 2025, the multi-day naturalalization clinic hosted each year, included virtual and hybrid sessions, along with in-person clinics at key commuity locations. The CIRCLE collaborative served 2,500 individuals at immigration orientations and clinics countywide. Our office served more than 3,398 individuals of varying nationalities and completed more than 2,601 applications.
- $1.8 million spent. Women and Children Project/Unaccompanied Minors Project - CCLS provides free legal assistance to women and children to obtain legal status under the Violence Against Women Act and other statutes and refers them for job assistance and other social services. CCLS provides services to meet the needs of unaccompanied children (UCs) in the Miami Immigration Court. The program educates custodians of UCs of applicable programs and laws intended to protect the UCs from mistreatment, exploitation and trafficking, and inform the custodians of available resources to assist UCs in this respect. Additionally, CCLS represents UCs who have been released from immigration detention.
- $1.5 million spent. General Immigration Assitance Program and Other Special Projects Immigration assistance to clients who lack sufficient means. Know Your Rights (KYR) presentations to recent arrival Migrants, removal defense, family based adjustment of status, and applications for specials programs such as TPS. In addition to direct representation, the program provides critical legal guildance and community education. We see approx 2,500 individuals from diverse backgronds each month.
- $843,408 spent. Access to Justice Programs CCLS provides programs for individuals to assistindividuals to access the complex immigration bureucracy, focusing on those in immigration court. Services include 1) group orientations explaining the removal process, including potential forms of relief from removal; 2)individual legal orientation tailored to an individuals particular set of circumstances; 3) assistance with forms and simple motions; and 4) referral to probono attorneys. Access to Justice Programs served 758 individuals and placedd 162 children and their custodians with pro bono attorneys.
- $918,241 spent. Project LABRE - This program serves the immigration needs of the local homeless population and the medically needy, and other vulnerable populations. Because of the programs assistance, they can secure work permits and residency cards which allow them to work, live independently, and access desperately needed social services. In FY25, the Labre Project provided 642 consultations including 472 FOIA requests, 63 adjustment of status applications, 53 Public Benefis services, and many other services.
- $352,360 spent. Complex Litigation & Special Matters Unit (CLU) The CLU serves as the esclation point for cases involving litigation, prolonged detention, novel legal questions, witness protection matters, cross-agency coordination, and sensitive reputational considerations. It also provides organization-wide mentoriship, strategic case review, and authoritative interpretation during a period of rapid regulatory and policy shifts.
- Women and Children Project/Unaccompanied Minors Project - CCLS provides free 1777661. 0. 0.
- General Immigration Assitance Program and Other Special Projects 1456590. 0. 0.
- Access to Justice Programs 843408. 0. 0.
- Project LABRE - This program serves the immigration needs 918241. 0. 0.
- Complex Litigation & Special Matters Unit (CLU) 352360. 0. 0.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Worth knowing.
Not individually listed by the IRS as eligible, which is usual for churches. The master file records contributions to it as deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Worth knowing.
The IRS does not require this organization to file annual returns.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1946.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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