First Public Defender Program for Immigrants Yields Positive Results

The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) is the nation’s first public defender system for immigrants. Those immigrants who are facing deportation have no right to legal representation. However, the odds of avoiding deportation with the help of a lawyer are much greater than an immigration proceeding without an attorney. New York City government officials, however, are working to ensure that immigrants in deportation proceedings have access to an attorney, acknowledging that immigrants make up almost one-third of the city’s total gross product. NYIFUP is also receiving support from the Vera Institute of Justice, which, through its Safety and Fairness For Everyone (SAFE) Cities Network initiative, is providing funding for legal representation for immigrants in 11 jurisdictions nationwide. The Vera Institute of Justice began collecting statistics on immigrants who were represented by lawyers in their deportation proceedings in 2014. The results were staggering; immigrants with lawyers were up to 12 times more likely to win their cases, as opposed to immigrants without lawyers. Over a two and a half year period, immigrants without legal representation went from a four percent success rate to a 48% success rate with legal representation. Simply having a lawyer to help gather necessary documents within a specific timeframe can make all the difference in a deportation case. These successes not only avoid deportation for the immigrant, but they keep families intact. As a public defender system for immigrants is still a new concept in most of the United States, it is essential that you seek representation by an experienced California immigration lawyer who can help you through your deportation proceedings. Fortunately, we are here to help. If ICE has detained a family member or loved one, contacting an experienced deportation defense attorney as quickly as possible can be essential to securing his or her release and launching a strong defense against deportation. Taking steps to fix an immigration problem from the beginning is often much simpler than waiting until the last minute and attempting to remedy the situation. Call Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., at (510) 756-4468 today, and learn what we can do to help you through this situation.