25I - IMMIGRANT DEFENDERS LAW CENTER

Home Browse Search

EXHIBIT 2 EXHIBIT A The start date will be upon execution of the contract, since we will be continuing from a previous grant, the staff who are already employed under this program we will continue providing legal representation under this contract. Information regarding our community stakeholders is in the next answer to question #7. 7) Please describe how your organization plans to grow and sustain your publicly funded program over the next two years. Please include information about the organizations, coalitions, and/or public figures in your jurisdiction who are supportive of the universal representation program and who are critical to building public support for the program. Please also include information regarding how you will engage clients, family members, and immigrant community members in your efforts to raise awareness and grow your program and how impacted communities will become aware of your work. The Removal Defense Fund will benefit from the relationships and work we established through The Santa Ana SAFE program. SAFE was the collective result of advocacy between local legal service providers, including ImmDef, Orange County based -law schools, and other community stakeholders. Together with the Vera Institute of Justice catalyst funds, the City of Santa Ana included an additional $65,000, bringing the Y1 grant total to $165,000. After being awarded the contract, ImmDef remained active in supporting continued advocacy efforts for the SAFE program. This included participation in city council meetings, press conferences supporting universal representation, and a written report to the City of Santa Ana, providing an update and review of the project at the end of Y1. This advocacy resulted in a Y2 award of $80,000 forthe immigration defense legal fund, an increase overthe initial $65,000 provided by the City of Santa Ana. ImmDef had the opportunity to work with one of the most vocal supporters on the city council, Councilman Vincent Sarmiento. Councilman Sarmiento provided valuable feedback on the issues most pressing for the council, including highlighting the number of Santa Ana residents and families being served by this program and underscoring the benefits of universal representation to all immigrants, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations such as veterans and DACA recipients. ImmDef provided testimony to the city council highlighting our work, including results from a case of a mentally ill Santa Ana resident, who through our representation, obtained another chance to present his case to the immigration court. What we believe was most impactful to the city council was the high number of Santa Ana residents being assisted through this project, demonstrating the importance and need of this service in the community and the personal stories of the individual cases we have represented. We also highlighted staff attorney, Cynthia Felix's, deep connection to the Santa Ana community as she is also a Santa Ana resident. Her comments regarding the importance of removal defense representation made an impact in demonstrating ImmDeYs commitment to serving residents who are affected by immigration enforcement. ImmDef will continue to participate and speak at several press conferences and community forums on detention and ICE enforcement in local communities in partnership with Resilience OC, a local advocacy organization and key supporter of universal representation. ImmDef also works in collaboration with other local OC legal service providers, including Public Law Center, Catholic Charities, and community stakeholders like Friends of Orange County Detainees. ImmDef is one of the organizations receiving referrals from the Orange County Deportation Defense Collaborative, a forum for referrals of impacted immigrants to be shared and made to legal service partners. 251-27