A Federal Defender Service for Immigrants: Why We Need a Universal, Zealous, and Person-Centered Model

The stakes are high for immigrants involved in the 1.25 million cases currently pending in the U.S. immigration court system. If deported, a person could face family separation, loss of income and possible persecution in their country of origin. Yet, individuals in 500,000 of these pending cases have no legal counsel. In contrast to the criminal legal system, the government is not required to provide publicly funded legal representation in immigration proceedings. A Federal Defender Service for Immigrants: Why We Need a Universal, Zealous, and Person-Centered Model, published by the Vera Institute of Justice, advocates for a federally funded legal defense service for immigrants, a recommendation grounded in Vera’s extensive experience administering national immigrant legal defense programs. The policy brief explains that a federal defender service for immigrants is urgently needed to ensure immigrants’ full and equal protection under the law and to reduce the harms caused by systemic racism and racist immigration policies. Built on the principles of universality, zealousness and person-centeredness, a federal defender system for immigrants would provide aggressive legal advocacy and non-judgmental, holistic and multidisciplinary support to all individuals in immigration proceedings in which immigration status or liberty and life are at risk. (Jasmina Popaja for The Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute)

Download now or view online.