Press Release: Catholic Charities Receives Renewal of Department of Justice Recognition
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend Receives Renewal of Department of Justice Recognition
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (January 14, 2025) – Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (CCFWSB) is pleased to announce the Department of Justice (DOJ) has granted a renewal of Agency Recognition as part of the Recognition and Accreditation (R&A) Program. This renewal ensures that the organization continues to meet the highest standards in providing immigration legal services to the community.
The R&A is a federal program that allows DOJ Accredited non-attorney staff working at a Recognized Agency to practice immigration law before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (U.S.C.I.S) and the Immigration Courts. This recognition is a critical part of Catholic Charities' ongoing commitment to serving individuals and families in need of affordable, high-quality legal assistance.
“We are extremely happy to continue our legacy of excellent work in Immigration Legal Services,” said Dan Florin, CEO of CCFWSB. “Last year, our program provided more than 2,600 services to over 1,000 individuals. The R&A program guarantees that our work meets high standards and complies with legal requirements.”
Expanding Access to Legal Support
Since its inception in the 1950s, the R&A Program has been an essential part of providing affordable legal assistance to low-income and at-risk individuals, particularly in immigration matters. The program is designed to reduce the risk of exploitation from predatory, unlicensed providers by ensuring immigrants receive competent and reputable legal counsel.
The renewal of CCFWSB’s DOJ Recognition underscores the organization’s commitment to offering safe, accurate, and affordable legal advice and representation. The agency first obtained DOJ Recognition in 2002 and has since ensured that clients receive reliable and high-quality services. The opportunity for qualified non-attorney staff to represent clients keeps services affordable and competent, a necessity for many of the low-income individuals Catholic Charities serves.
Catholic Charities has been a DOJ Recognized Organization for over 20 years and currently employs two partially accredited legal representatives. Immigration Director Luz Ostrognai, a fully accredited representative, has managed the Immigration Program at Catholic Charities since 2005.
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About Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:
Catholic Charities is a private 501 (c) 3 incorporated in the state of Indiana to act as the coordinating and administrative agency for the charitable activities assigned to it by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend; to plan for, initiate, direct, support and coordinate Catholic social-services programs for the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical welfare of persons in need; to seek and determine the causes of social problems in order to better promote preventative social-action programs; to participate in community planning and organization, and work cooperatively with other individuals and groups in the field of social work. The service area for Catholic Charities includes the 14 counties of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, encompassing 2,236 square miles, with a population of 1,247,850. Currently, Catholic Charities has offices in Fort Wayne (Allen County), Auburn (DeKalb County), and South Bend (St. Joseph County), Indiana. In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, CCFWSB served over 21,000 individuals at a fiscally responsible rate of 88 cents of every dollar dedicated to client services. The agency’s mission is to serve all those in need as Christ calls us to do.