Advancing Universal Representation
A Toolkit for Advocates, Organizers, Legal Service Providers, and Policymakers
(Para Español: Haga clic aquí.) In immigration court, there is no legal right to a public defender for an immigrant who can’t afford a lawyer, even though deportation often threatens one’s life and freedom. That’s why now more than ever, communities across America support universal representation—a public defender system for immigrants facing deportation. We’re all taught to believe that everyone gets their fair day in court. Everyone should mean everyone.
A Toolkit for Advocates, Organizers, Legal Service Providers, and Policymakers
Publicly funded attorneys are a critical tool in states’ ICE accountability efforts.
Andry José Hernández Romero was on the path to legal residency when the Trump administration labeled him a member of a Venezuelan gang and sent him to a Salvadoran mega-prison, where he spent 125 torturous days. The evidence against him? Tattoos of a crown on each wrist, one with the word “Mom” and the other with the word “Dad.” On the one-year ann ...
As AI use spreads, policymakers must ensure these tools are transparent, accountable, and used only in ways that reduce harm.
Artificial intelligence (AI) errors, hallucinations, and mistakes are well documented. Yet despite these risks, its use is spreading widely in the criminal justice system, where the stakes are much too high for the misuse of risky and experimental tools. To guide responsible AI adoption, the Vera Institute of Justice developed five AI accountabilit ...