AURORA, Colo. — Colorado attorneys specializing in everything from criminal to corporate law are stepping up to support the immigrant community pro bono.
With cities bracing for the possibility of mass deportations under the Trump administration, nearly 100 lawyers took a training course in immigration law to represent those in custody at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora, one of the largest in the country.
Violeta Chapin, associate dean at the University of Colorado Law School and a participant in the training program, highlighted a significant gap in legal support for immigrants during an interview with Scripps News Denver Tuesday.
"We do not have a public defender for immigrants. So, the lack of consistent representation for immigrants leads to a lot of delays," said Chapin.
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The training was put on by Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN), which said Colorado already has the lowest rate of representation in the country for people who are facing deportation.
Mekela Goehring, executive director of RMIAN, said the training focused on how to argue for bond for detainees.
"What we know is that if people have representation, they're 10 times more likely to win their cases," said Goehring. "If they can get a bond and get out of immigration detention while they're fighting their cases, then they have access to information, to the resources."
With nearly 100 lawyers ready to represent immigrants when needed, these advocates are realistic about their expectations but hopeful to make any kind of difference.
"I think any additional representation in immigration court is beneficial to the immigrants and to the process itself," said Chapin.
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