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 ...
The Impact of Legal Representation in Immigration Court
Representation before any court of law is a matter of fundamental fairness. However, immigrants facing deportation are entitled to representation paid for by the government only in extremely limited circumstances, despite the high stakes involved in these proceedings. A growing body of research demonstrates the need for representation and its signi ...
The federal SHIELD Act and New York’s BUILD Act would strengthen the immigration legal services workforce and help ensure people receive their fair day in court.
The family of five showed up in immigration court, just as directed. After fleeing danger in Ecuador, they had applied for asylum, a form of protection that allows people to remain in the United States if they meet certain legal requirements including being subject to persecution in their country of origin. Their legal representative, Constanza Ben ...