GRANITE CITY, Ill. -- Daniel Juarez is a man whose name has become synonymous with hope for many immigrants in southern Illinois.

Juarez is director of the nonprofit Immigration Project in Granite City, where he and three others help thousands of immigrants each year with citizenship applications to the Immigration and Naturalization Service and to change their immigration status.

The 16-year-old project -- the only one of its kind south of Interstate 80 -- has become known in immigrant communities throughout Illinois, as well as in Kentucky and Indiana.

"We cannot say no," Juarez said of the flood of phone calls and visits immigrants make to his office. "People come and we do it. Whatever we can do, we'll do, even if we are not funded for it."

The project is housed in a storefront, where its orange shag carpet and modest, mismatched furniture create a casual feel -- and indicate the group's tight budget. Nestled between stacks of the blue and manila file folders lining his desk, Juarez said he's never idle.

In fiscal year 2001, the project worked with 2,500 immigrants, up from 2,236 in fiscal year 1999. Most of those cases were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service asking for permanent residency and family reunification, said Juarez, 51, who moved to the United States from Peru in the 1970s.

Free service offered

The service is free, but clients must pay federal application fees, he said.

But not every immigrant has a case to stay in the country, Juarez said. If an immigrant does not have a right to citizenship, such as having a family member who is a citizen or coming from a country that warrants political asylum, there is little Juarez can do to help.

Norman Molina, 27, a legal assistant at the Immigration Project, said his job is a crash course in the confusing world of immigration law, which can change from year to year.

"Usually our client doesn't know anything about what his rights are," Molinas, said. "The people who work on the farms, they don't know anything about the laws."

The project is one of 20 statewide organizations recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals, and provides an essential service for downstate immigrants, said Diego Bonesatti, immigration and citizenship specialist at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights in Chicago.

Gateway communities

"Chicago remains a gateway, but now there are other places that are gateway communities," Bonesatti said. "When there are so few options, people are desperate for advice. A drowning man will grab at anything."

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 5,604 documented Hispanic residents in St. Clair County, up from 3,878 in 1990. In Madison County, there were 3,925 Hispanic residents in 2000, up from 2,713 in 1990. Other downstate areas, such as Cobden and Anna in Union County and Johnston City and Marion in Williamson County, also have seen an influx of Hispanic residents.

But many immigration service providers said the numbers are likely higher because fear of deportation often deters immigrants from registering with the government.

Most of the Immigration Project's clients are Hispanic, but several are Asian, Polish or Russian, said Erica Clinton, an attorney for the project.

Hugh Phillips, director of El Centro por los Trabajadores in Champaign-Urbana, said he would not be able to help 4,000 immigrant laborers every year without frequent visits from Juarez and his staff.

"I know of no other source that I can deal with locally that has the same expertise that he does," Phillips said of Juarez.

"The worker will say I am here right now. What can I do? Can I upgrade my status? Can I help other people? It's just a constant flow of questions."