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IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS ON IMMIGRATION POLICY
WRITTEN BY JORGE BARON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT
Alliance advocates at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project are pleased to share information about some significant developments in immigration policy, some of which are the direct result of work supported by the Alliance.
Topics included in this article:
Franco-Gonzales v. Holder Class Action: Right to Appointed Counsel for Some Immigrant Detainees
Asylum Clock Litigation Settlement
Immigration Reform Debate Heats Up in Congress
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STATE LEGAL AID FUNDING UPDATE
WRITTEN BY ERIC GONZALEZ ALFARO
DIRECTOR, EQUAL JUSTICE COALITION
The Equal Justice Coalition has been working hard in Olympia to protect state funding for legal aid. During the regular session, the Senate Ways & Means Committee proposed a $5.4 million cut to the State Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA). Thankfully, Senators Linda Evans Parlette (R-Wenatchee) and Ed Murray (D-Seattle) co-sponsored a last minute, bi-partisan amendment to restore $2 million of the $5.4 million cut to OCLA, which passed committee and was adopted as part of the Senate-proposed budget. However, even the House-proposed budget is about $900,000 less than OCLA received last year.
The legislature's appropriation to OCLA supports the Northwest Justice Project, a state-wide non-profit organization that (with state funding) helped thousands of individuals and families between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 (FY 12). The appropriation also helps support 17 county-based volunteer-driven lawyer programs, including Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers, Eastside Legal Assistance Program, Lewis County Bar Legal Aid, and the Chelan-Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services, to name a few.
These and other Alliance for Equal Justice programs work hand in glove to ensure low-income and vulnerable people assert and defend legal rights that affect the safety of their families, access to essential income assistance and healthcare, the right to live in their homes and the ability to defend themselves against predatory lenders and others who would otherwise take advantage of them. But because of limited funding and overwhelming demand, nearly four out of five low income people with an important civil legal problem cannot get the help they need.
Yet current services remain in jeopardy. The legislature is in midst of a special session to resolve conflicting budgets, including legal aid funding, and is scheduled to draw to a close June 13, 2013.
The Senate budget proposes $3 million more in cuts than the House budget. The Senate-proposed budget would eliminate 17% of the state funded legal services, reducing essential services to thousands of highly vulnerable low-income, at risk families, across Washington.
There is still time to help. Please contact your Legislators and urge them to, at the minimum, support the House-proposed appropriation level of funding for the Office of Civil Legal Aid.
Click here to TAKE ACTION, encourage others to join our efforts to retain the critical services that protect the poor.
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COMMUNITY PARTNERS (NEW COLUMN):
Our new column, Community Partners, will feature the work of Washington State non-profit organizations outside The Alliance for Equal Justice that promote equality, encourage grassroots participation, address the needs of underserved communities, and help low-income people succeed.
THE WASHINGTON BUS
ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR, WA BUS
Political pundits and experts often make the inaccurate assumption that because young people are statistically less engaged in elections, they simply don't care about politics or the many issues facing American society today.
At the non-profit the Washington Bus, we like to walk folks through a hypothetical scenario: Your friend is throwing a party. She doesn't invite any young people to the party. To her surprise/dismay, young people don't show up to the party. You hear her decrying these "apathetic" young people who "don't care about engaging in delightful conversation with me and eating my delicious snacks." This (silly, I admit) scenario is not just a recipe for a boring evening, it is actually a pretty good parable for our elections process. The truth is, when it comes to the party that is our elections process, young people are rarely, if ever, invited to participate. The Washington Bus sees the challenge before us as one of access, not apathy.
Access to a political system that can, and should, meet us where we are.
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SIMPLE CHANGES LEVERAGE A BIG IMPACT
WRITTEN BY ALEX KF DOOLITTLE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SEATTLE COMMUNITY LAW CENTER
Have you ever walked down the street in your city, or any city, and walked right by someone who is homeless without even realizing it? Some of us are in a hurry to get to the next meeting or to get out of the rain. Some of us simply do not have anything to offer, this time. Others of us feel that homelessness is such a big and overwhelming problem that the only way to manage the feeling is to avoid the issue, for now. Bringing the issue back into focus, establishing ways that we can serve people who are without homes should be a priority. There are some small systemic changes that we can make within the legal profession to serve people who are homeless.
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NORTHWEST JUSTICE PROJECT
RELEASES ITS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
The Northwest Justice Project has posted its Annual Report 2012, highlighting the life-changing results that are possible when low-income families, individuals and communities have meaningful access to justice.
In 2012 NJP provided legal assistance in approximately 15,000 cases directly benefiting nearly 32,000 Washington residents. In the report, NJP shares just a few of the inspiring stories of the tens of thousands of our neighbors whose lives are safer, who are more economically secure, and who have a brighter future because they had access to legal assistance and representation.
Although the number of people served by NJP was lower than in 2011, reflecting reduced client service capacity from stagnating and reduced funding in recent years, NJP's work again had a broad impact on the lives of low-income people across the state. Especially notable was the successful litigation by NJP's Medical Legal Partnership that guaranteed Medicaid coverage for Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy to autistic children; NJP litigation to protect Washingtonians from debt collection abuse; and the nearly 1,000 homeowners facing foreclosure assisted by NJP's Foreclosure Prevention Unit.
The theme of NJP's Annual Report, "Securing Justice by addressing human needs, protecting economic security, and promoting opportunity" truly captures the challenge and inspiration for the Alliance for Equal Justice as we work in partnership to provide critical legal services to low-income communities across Washington. Congratulations to NJP's dedicated staff.
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The Wenatchee World, Tracy Warner, April 26, 2013 | Editorial: Justice For All Requires Funding
LSC, Carl Rauscher, April 2013 | LSC, White House Host Forum on Increasing Access to Justice
The New York Times, Julia Preston, April 24, 2013 | In a First, Judge Orders Legal Aid for Mentally Disabled Immigrants Facing Deportation
The New York Times, Op-Ed Contributor: Sonia Nazario, April 10, 2013 | Child Migrants, Alone In Court
A YEAR AGO:
The Seattle Times, Guest Column: Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen & King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Richard McDermott, February 29, 2012 | Cuts In Legal Aid Would Harm Those Already Financially Strapped
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LAW FUND UPDATE:
The Legal Community Steps Up In A BIG Way - Through the generosity of lawyers, law firms and judges, LAW Fund has raised over $600,000 for civil legal services in 2013 to date! Thank you to all who have contributed so far. Special thanks are in order to those who donated on May 15th, GiveBIG Day. On that day alone, LAW Fund raised $50,000+ (breaking the Top 50 for dollars raised for the first time in GiveBIG history!). These gifts will be "stretched" by the Seattle Foundation and other community sponsors. Click here to see all of the totals.
Welcome Stephanie Watson! - In April, LAW Fund also welcomed Stephanie Watson, Development Coordinator, to the team. Prior to joining LAW Fund, Stephanie worked at FIUTS, a small non-profit organization supporting international students.
See You in Whatcom County - On Thursday, May 23rd, the Campaign for Equal Justice and LAW Advocates will be hosting its annual Phonathon in Whatcom County. We look forward to working with the Whatcom County legal community in their effort to reclaim the Rainier Cup!
Donate today - Click here to make your gift to support Washington State's civil legal aid network!
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The Alliance for Equal Justice is a network of organizations working collaboratively to ensure all people have access to justice in Washington State.
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