The Seattle City Council voted April 17 to establish a $1 million fund to help immigrants pay for legal representation if they are targeted by the federal government for deportation.
Unlike other areas of the U.S. legal system, people brought into immigration court are not guaranteed representation, leaving some of the most vulnerable people to fight for their lives and livelihoods on their own.
According to the City Council website, 35 percent of people in Seattle’s immigration court are not represented by an attorney. That figure climbs to 92 percent for those processed by the Tacoma immigration court.
“With this Legal Defense Fund, we stand hand-in-hand with our immigrant and refugee communities as they fight to remain with their families and in their homes,” said Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez, who introduced the measure with Councilmember Tim Burgess. “Each of our friends, neighbors, and family members who go to immigration court deserve to be accompanied by someone who understands their case.”
The action follows a similar move by Los Angeles, which established a $10 million fund. Both Seattle and Los Angeles have declared themselves “sanctuary cities” in defiance of the current administration. That means they will not use local resources to assist the federal government in checking on people’s documentation status.
Ashley Archibald is a Staff Reporter covering local government, policy and equity. Have a story idea? She can be can reached at ashleya (at) realchangenews (dot) org. Twitter @AshleyA_RC
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