65A - IMMIGRATION DEFENSE OPTIONS

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Immigration Legal Defense Options May 16, 2017 Page 3 individuals to seek assistance from inexperienced, unlicensed, or unqualified professionals who often exploit them, causing additional fear and distrust. Some of these service providers, for example, hold themselves out to be lawyers when in fact they are not licensed to practice law. 2. The City Should Take Actions That Will Build Trust with the Communitv Community members also expressed that lack of trust, in conjunction with fear, prohibit individuals from coming forward to obtain assistance that they may need. Often trust in government is minimal due to preconceived notions brought with people from their place of birth or misinformation about the role of local government in relation to the federal government. Community members feel strongly that a partnership with grass roots organizations and /or religious organizations may go a long way in building trust with the community because these organizations have more day -to -day contact with residents than local or county government. 3. The City has Several Potential Options to Facilitate Providing Legal Representation to Those Members of the Communitv That Are at Risk for Deportation a) Partner with Immigrant Defenders or Other Established Providers of Legal Services In Los Angeles, a pro bono law firm named Immigrant Defenders Law Center advocates for universal representation in immigration matters and functions as a type of public defender system for immigrants facing deportation. The Immigrant Defenders Law Centers is supported by the Vera Institute for Justices, Georgetown University Law Center, USC Gould School of Law, Crittenton7, Skadden Foundations, MALDEF, California Community Foundation, and the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Several of the legal practitioners that attended the March 8u' meeting advocated for a partnership with Immigrant Defenders Law Center and /or supporting an expansion of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center to the Orange County area. That option would likely require some monetary support from the City and /or non - profit entities but has the advantage of a faster start-up. b) Establish a Joint Powers Authority California Government Code section 6502 allows two or more public entities, if authorized by their governing boards or legislature, to enter into an agreement to jointly exercise any power common to the contracting parties. The parties may also create a separate entity entitled a joint powers authority. Government Code section 6503.5. A joint powers agreement or a joint powers 5 www.immdeforg 6 http: / /www.vera.org/ 7 http: / /crittentonsocal.org /what -we -do /community- based - services/ 8 htt ps : / /www.skaddenfellowships.org/ 65A -3