About LIRC

Littleton Immigrant Resources Center logo

The Littleton Immigrant Resources Center (LIRC) is a division of the Bemis Public Library, a department of the City of Littleton. 

The Littleton Immigrant Resources Center is recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) which allows non-attorney “Accredited Representatives” to provide immigration legal services and represent immigrants before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). LIRC is staffed with bi-lingual speakers (English/Spanish) who can answer questions regarding classes and immigration issues and processes. 

The Littleton Immigrant Resources Center has its roots in the 2004 Littleton Leadership Retreat. During that retreat, more than 70 Littleton residents gathered to learn about the large number of people from different cultures who were moving into the community and discuss how established residents could reach out to these newcomers.

In 2005, a group of volunteers received a year-long planning grant from The Colorado Trust, a private grant-making foundation dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of the people of Colorado. The group became known as the "Littleton Immigrant Integration Initiative," or LI3.

In 2009, the City of Littleton and the Littleton Immigrant Integration Initiative received the E Pluribus Unum grant of $50,000 to continue to serve the community. That same year, when the original funding from the Colorado Trust ended, the City of Littleton assumed responsibility for this program and the Littleton Immigrant Resources Center (LIRC) officially became part of the City of Littleton and Bemis Public Library. The governance of the program was transferred to the City Manager and City Council.

From 2012 to 2018, LIRC received three consecutive Citizenship and Integration grants from USCIS. These grants allowed LIRC to expand its citizenship education by offering small group classes and hiring additional staff to provide legal assistance to lawful permanent residents during the naturalization application process.

Since 2015, LIRC has received grants and donations that have enabled the division to create an English as a Second Language program and to offer classes with great success. Over the years, we have received grants from the American Library Association, Vernon Libraries, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Investor Education Foundation, and Rose Foundation. Currently, the City of Littleton fully funds our program.

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