“I thought a renewal was only for people with a lawyer's money. Lupita explained the fee in Spanish and I paid what I could. The new permit came before the old one ended.”
Yaneth R.Work permit renewal
Garden City and Dodge City, Kansas
Your family's papers, handled by neighbors
Wheatland is a nonprofit immigration clinic with offices in Garden City and Dodge City. Bring us the worry: a work permit about to expire, a letter in the mail, a relative who was detained. We answer in Spanish or English.
- Spanish and EnglishVerónica and Lupita answer in Spanish
- Free or low costBased on your household income
- Lawyers, never notariosA licensed attorney supervises every case
- Two officesGarden City and Dodge City
Help is free for households under an income limit; everyone else pays a fee based on income, quoted in writing before any work starts. Government filing fees are separate and are paid by the client.
The worries we hear most
And what happens to…
Start with the one that keeps you up at night. Each opens a page that says what the process is, what to bring and what comes next.
…my work permit when it expires?
Renewals take months. Come in well before the date on the card, not after it.
DACA and work permits…my family if someone is detained?
Who to call first, how a bond hearing works and what a notice to appear means.
Court and detention…my children if I am deported?
A written plan for school, bank accounts and who cares for them, made before you ever need it.
Make a family plan…my mother, who wants to come here?
Citizens and permanent residents can petition for close relatives. We explain who counts and how long the line is.
Family petitions…my green card when it expires?
The card expires; your status does not. We file the renewal and check for problems first.
Green card renewals…my family if I become a citizen?
What changes for your spouse and children, what the test asks and how we practice the interview.
Citizenship
Before you call
Questions at the kitchen table
Most people hold off calling because of one of these.
Will you tell immigration about me?
No. What you tell us stays with the clinic, as it must with any lawyer. We never report anyone, and we do not turn people away because of their status.
Do I need papers to make an appointment?
No. Come with papers or without, with a letter you do not understand or with only a question.
Is the first visit free?
The first conversation is. After that, help is free if your household income is under our limit; otherwise you pay a fee based on income, in writing before we start. Government filing fees are separate and are paid by the client.
Are you notarios?
No. We are lawyers. In the United States a notary public is not a lawyer and cannot give immigration advice. If anyone promises results in exchange for a payment, come to us before you sign.
Do I have to come to the office?
No. You can start by phone or text, and by video if the road is too far. Some Saturdays we are at the pantry table, so you can ask a question between boxes.
What should I bring the first time?
Any letter from immigration, any ID from your country and whatever papers you have, even old ones. Nothing has to be in order.
Where we are from
Colors from the road
Green is the winter wheat along the highway in April; gold is the same field in June. We took our colors from the drive between Garden City and Dodge City, so you know you are in the right place.
Verónica grew up in Garden City, in a family that worked the line at the beef plant. On Saturdays she is at the pantry table with the volunteers, taking questions between boxes of produce. So when you sit across from one of us, we have probably sat where you are.
Said at the front desk
After they called
“My son was picked up on a Friday. By Saturday morning someone had called us back and told us what to do first, and what not to say on the phone.”
Filemón G.Family of a detained client
“Amina spoke to my mother in Somali. For the first time my mother understood her own papers.”
Hawa A.Citizenship application
Each client's case is different. These are sample comments from clients; they do not promise any result.
Don't carry the worry alone
Call, text or come by. We answer in Spanish or English, and we tell you what it costs before any work starts.
Please don't send confidential details through the website. Tell us when we call.