Established 2010 · Los Angeles, CA

Guiding families
toward citizenship
with integrity.

The Vigilance Academy is an immigration legal services organization dedicated to providing trustworthy, accessible, and expert guidance to individuals and families navigating the U.S. naturalization process.

4,800+
Cases Handled
14
Years of Service
97%
Approval Rate
Our Mission

Why we exist

We believe every person deserves a knowledgeable advocate in their corner — someone who treats their case with the care and urgency it deserves.

Protect & Advocate
We fight for our clients' rights at every step, ensuring their applications are complete, accurate, and submitted with confidence.
Community First
Our roots are in the communities we serve. We offer multilingual support and sliding-scale fees so no one is left behind due to language or finances.
Timely & Precise
Immigration deadlines are unforgiving. Our team tracks every case with meticulous attention to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Proven Results
With a 97% approval rate across thousands of applications, our track record speaks louder than any promise we could make.
Our Story

From one family's struggle
to thousands of successes

The Vigilance Academy was founded in 2010 by Elena Reyes, a naturalized citizen who experienced firsthand the confusion, anxiety, and bureaucratic complexity of the U.S. immigration system. After spending years helping neighbors and community members navigate paperwork on her kitchen table, she formalized her practice into what is today one of Southern California's most trusted immigration services organizations.

What began as a one-person office in East Los Angeles has grown into a team of accredited representatives, paralegals, and community educators serving clients across all 50 states. We specialize in naturalization (Form N-400), green card applications, DACA renewals, and family-based petitions.

Our philosophy has never changed: treat every client the way you'd want your own family treated. That means plain-language explanations, realistic timelines, transparent fees, and a direct line to someone who knows your case.

Today, the Academy operates a fully digital platform that lets clients track their applications in real time, upload documents securely, and complete eligibility screenings from anywhere in the world — all while maintaining the personal, human touch that has always defined us.

"I wanted every client to feel what I didn't feel during my own process — that someone knowledgeable was truly in their corner."
— Elena Reyes, Founder & Executive Director
Accredited by the DOJ Board of Immigration Appeals
Nonprofit — reinvesting in community outreach
Multilingual support: English, Spanish, Tagalog
Sliding-scale fees based on household income
Fully remote-capable with in-person options
What We Stand For

Our four pillars

01
Transparency
No hidden fees, no vague timelines. We communicate openly about costs, next steps, and realistic expectations from day one.
02
Accuracy
A single error on an immigration form can delay a case by years. Our multi-step review process catches mistakes before they cost you.
03
Empathy
Every case represents a real person with real stakes. We listen first, advise second, and never treat clients as just another file number.
04
Vigilance
Immigration law changes constantly. Our team stays current with USCIS policy updates so your application always reflects the latest requirements.
Meet the Team

The people in your corner

Accredited representatives, legal educators, and community advocates — united by a shared mission.

ER
Founder
Tushana Forbes
Executive Director & Lead Representative
A naturalized citizen and DOJ-accredited representative with over 20 years of experience. Elena founded the Academy after navigating her own naturalization journey and vowed to make the process clearer for everyone who followed. She specializes in N-400 naturalization, removal defense, and complex family-based petitions.
N-400 Naturalization Removal Defense Family Petitions DOJ Accredited
MC
Senior Rep
Marco Cruz
Senior Accredited Representative
Marco brings 12 years of experience in employment-based immigration and DACA renewals. Fluent in Spanish and English, he has represented over 800 clients through successful citizenship applications.
DACA RenewalsEmployment-BasedSpanish
AS
Legal Educator
Aisha Santos
Immigration Paralegal & Educator
Aisha leads our civics education program and prepares clients for naturalization interviews. She manages our community outreach workshops across greater Los Angeles.
Civics PrepInterview CoachingOutreach
JL
Case Manager
James Liu
Senior Case Manager
James manages client intake and case tracking for the full application pipeline. With a background in social work, he ensures every client understands their case status at every stage.
Case TrackingClient IntakeMandarin
RP
Representative
Rosa Padilla
Accredited Representative
Rosa specializes in asylum applications and special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) cases, working closely with partner nonprofits across Southern California.
AsylumSIJSNonprofit Partners
DM
Tech Lead
David Mendoza
Platform & Operations Lead
David built and maintains the digital tools that power the Academy's case management platform. He ensures clients can track applications, upload documents, and communicate securely.
Case PlatformData SecurityOperations
Ready to start your journey?
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