This multi-city network connects immigrants with legal help, and now it's hoping to get bigger
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A groundbreaking initiative connecting immigrants facing deportation with legal assistance has had extraordinary effects all over the U.S., and now the program is seeking to expand to protect even more families. A dozen cities and counties are part of thThis multi-city network connects immigrants with legal help, and now it's hoping to get bigger
A groundbreaking initiative connecting immigrants facing deportation with legal assistance has had extraordinary effects all over the U.S., and now the program is seeking to expand to protect even more families. A dozen cities and counties are part of the Vera Institute of Justice’s Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Cities Network, which aids immigrants with attorneys. Unlike criminal court, immigrants in immigration court are not guaranteed representation if they can’t afford it. Looking to change this, Vera announced during a conference in Denver this week that “it was seeking proposals from cities and counties to join” its network. “Who’s being served by this program?” Vera tweeted. “On average, SAFE clients have lived in the US for more than a decade. 11 percent of them have lived here for 30 years. They have entrenched ties to their communities, where they've long been active members.” Atlanta, Austin, Columbus, and Baltimore are part of the network, with Denver most recently joining and setting aside “$385,000 for an immigrant defense fund, which will be divided among four nonprofit groups,” The Washington Post reported. The administration has continued to pad up its immigration enforcement numbers by arresting immigrants with no criminal record at all, making the initiative’s work all the more important. “More than a third of clients (39 percent) came to the United States as children, arriving before the age of 18,” Vera said. “Many SAFE clients (44 percent) are part of mixed-status families, composed of family members with different citizenship statuses.” “There is no greater responsibility that I have as mayor than to keep all residents of Denver, undocumented or not, safe and secure and when we have challenging language that comes out of Washington that threatens that very covenant that we have with all of our residents it makes it doubly difficult for us to help people feel safe in their city,” said Mayor Michael Hancock. The SAFE Network is accepting proposals here. Read more