Here's Why You Should Bring Someone With You to Immigration Court

What is court accompaniment? 

Accompaniment is the process of having a volunteer join an immigrant to a court appearance or a check-in appointment with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In recent months, more volunteers have come together across the country to build a system of accompaniment that pairs volunteers with people who wish to have support as they head to immigration court. 

For court appointments, a companion may be allowed to come into the building with the person they are supporting, though these policies tend to change often. 

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For ICE check-ins, companions can only come to the building entrance and will often wait outside until the person comes returns. Sometimes this process is also called court support.

This information is not a substitute for legal advice from a qualified attorney or accredited representative. The content was last updated January 2026.

How can accompaniment be helpful to immigrants?

• Companions can help translate documents, signs, and other things that may be hard to understand 
  
• Companions can help navigate the logistics of the meeting, including how to get in and out of the building, and how to find the courtrooms once inside
  
• If any problems arise during the appointment, companions may tap into a network of volunteers to solve the issues alongside you
  
• Companions may connect you to other organizations that may provide pro bono or affordable legal help
  
• If you get detained, the companion can alert loved ones 

How can you find court accompaniment?

Some of the following groups offer help in New York City:

• ICE Out of NYC
• Sacred Court Support 
• Families for Freedom
• New Sanctuary Coalition

Different organizations may approach accompaniment in different ways. Here are some things for you to consider when you reach out to them: 

• Get in touch ahead of time, ideally at least 2 weeks 
• Ask the organization for details on how their process works 
• Make sure you have any paperwork supporting your case 
• Have your A-Number handy. This is the number that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assigned to your case
• Have a another person ready who could act as your emergency contact

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