Video Playlist

Reimagine Justice Vera Institute Eleventh Annual Gala

On Thursday, April 20, 2017, justice reform leaders and supporters joined the Vera Institute of Justice for Vera’s 11th Annual Gala, Reimagine Justice.

Honorees discussed approaches to criminal justice reform and the future of the movement in a very different federal climate. Samuel David Flores Murillo, a client of Vera’s recently expanded New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), gave a moving speech about the need for increased support for immigrant families and communities.

Related

Evaluation of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project

Assessing the Impact of Legal Representation on Family and Community Unity

This study evaluates the impact of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP). NYIFUP is the nation’s first public defender system for immigrants facing deportation—defined as those in removal proceedings before an immigration judge. Funded by the New York City Council since July 2014, the program provides a free attorney to almost all de ...

Publication
November 09, 2017
Publication

How Legal Representation Turned the Tide For a Mother Facing Deportation

“I hope [my attorneys] will be able to help other people—the same way they helped me.”

Shackled hand and foot on a deportation flight to Mexico, Naomi* sat weeping and praying. Her parents brought her to the United States when she was nine years old. Though she had struggled to navigate the complex path to legal residency, she had built a life in the Chicago area, with children and grandchildren she would be leaving behind. When she ...

News
May 27, 2026
News