Legal services providers selected for Ramsey County/City of Saint Paul Immigration Legal Defense Fund
Saint Paul – A collaborative consisting of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, The Advocates for Human Rights and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has been selected as the service provider for the Ramsey County/City of Saint Paul Immigration Legal Defense Fund.
The $250,000 legal defense fund is dedicated to supporting families in removal proceedings. It consists of $100,000 from Ramsey County, $50,000 from Saint Paul and $100,000 in matching funds from the Vera Institute for Justice.
The collaborative will represent clients who live in Ramsey County or Saint Paul who do not have legal representation, who are detained and face removal, and who earn less than 200% of poverty guidelines. Potential clients may contact any of the following phone numbers below to have their case evaluated:
ILCM intake/detention line: 651-641-1011
AHR intake line: 612-341-9845
MMLA intake line: 612-334-5970
“Our selection team was very impressed by the strengths of the collaborative model,” said Ramsey County Policy & Planning Director Elizabeth Tolzmann. “We believe this approach will best serve the highest number of families and individuals most in need of fair legal representation.”
The approach is premised much like a public defender model in criminal court - that those at risk of deportation should have access to due process and a fair day in court even if they cannot afford an attorney. Legal representation for these clients is a crucial way to keep communities cohesive, stable, safe and successful.
“Ramsey County and the City of Saint Paul are committed to protecting the rights of our immigrant and refugee residents, who are a vital part of our community,” said Assistant Saint Paul City Attorney Edmundo D. Lijo. “Each of the organizations in the collaborative brings a high level of experience and expertise in representing individuals in removal proceedings and together they have built a team that is well equipped to provide strong legal representation to protect our residents.”
In addition, the following organizations will provide programmatic, ongoing support to promote familial and community stability to assist families with a loved one going through immigration proceedings connect with county services for which they are eligible. This will be achieved through a combination of education and awareness; community outreach and engagement, and referrals to the immigration legal defense fund.
More information:
July 2019 press release from VERA Institute of Justice
Feb. 2019 action by the Ramsey County Board authorizing a Joint Powers Agreement with Saint Paul for Immigrant and Refugee Services
Contact:
John Siqveland, Ramsey County, 651-746-9250
Peter Leggett, Saint Paul, 651-266-8518
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