Governor Mikie Sherrill has announced that she’ll be allocating more than $20 million to provide free legal services to New Jersey immigrants facing deportation.
On Thursday, Sherrill announced she’d be adding another $12 million to the Detention Deportation Defense Initiative (DDDI), bringing the program’s total funding to $20.2 million.
The DDDI, created in 2018, provides free and expert legal counsel and representation to low-income New Jersey residents who are at risk of deportation or are facing removal proceedings and do not have access to legal counsel.
The program is in partnership with several law organizations, including Legal Services of New Jersey, American Friends Service Committee, Rutgers Law School, and Seton Hall Law School.
The Governor’s Office cites “the Trump Administration’s escalating attacks” on immigrant families as the reason for the emergency funding.
“Every person deserves to be treated with dignity, and to the rights enshrined in our Constitution… These include access to due process and a fair hearing under the law, regardless of where you were born,” said Sherrill. “As the Trump Administration makes it more difficult for members of our community to challenge detention and deportation, access to qualified legal representation has never been more important. Here in New Jersey, we are helping ensure more New Jersey residents receive due process under the law and more New Jersey attorneys are mobilized to stand up for the fundamental human rights of detainees and their families.”
Additionally, Sherrill, in coordination with the Department of Human Services’ Office of New Americans, has launched the Rapid Legal Response Initiative. The initiative focuses on recruiting and training volunteer attorneys, expanding emergency legal support capacity, and coordinating rapid legal response efforts statewide, among other efforts, according to the Office of New Americans.
The Governor’s Office says the Rapid Legal Response Initiative is necessary due to immigrant detainment outpacing DDDI funding, which is forcing many low-income immigrants to represent themselves during complex federal proceedings. While criminal defendants are provided with a government-appointed attorney, that is not always the case with civil offenses, like being undocumented.
Officials say the establishment of the Rapid Legal Response Initiative and the emergency funding to the DDDI will “double the services provided to help hundreds more individuals in need of representation.”
The moves come as civil unrest continues at the ICE detention center, Delaney Hall, in Newark. Following reports of unfair and unconstitutional treatment of detainees within the 1,000-bed facility, protestors have taken to the streets in outrage. Clashes with ICE, police, and demonstrators have gotten violent in recent days.
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Supporters of Sherrill’s decision, including Senate President Nick Scutari, cited Delaney Hall. Scutari called the treatment of Delaney Hall inmates “offensive to all of us who value human dignity and respect the basic rights of those who are held by the Justice system in this country.”
“Our Constitution guarantees people the right to due process,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. “The right to a lawyer is a critical element of providing that due process. It is therefore our duty to take action to ensure that we are providing the resources necessary to make the process fair and consistent with our cherished constitutional goals. Putting in place funds to secure representation for people in need is the right thing to do."
While some organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have applauded the bump in funding, Congressman Van Drew called Sherrill's plan "a complete insult to every hardworking taxpayer."
"New Jersey families are being crushed by some of the highest electric bills, property taxes, and cost of living in the entire country, and Governor Sherrill's answer is to spend more than $20 million defending illegal immigrants," said Congressman Van Drew. "New Jersey citizens should come first. If they can find $20 million for immigration lawyers, they can find money to lower utility delivery charges or provide relief to the people who actually live, work, and pay taxes here. Every dollar spent helping illegal immigrants avoid deportation is a dollar not being spent helping New Jersey families afford to stay in New Jersey."
Those who know a New Jersey resident who has been detained by ICE and needs legal support can complete this DDDI referral form. Those interested in volunteering with the Rapid Legal Response Initiative can sign up here.
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