FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2025
CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org
WASHINGTON –On January 22, 2025, the Acacia Center for Justice received a stop work order from the Department of Justice telling us to pause three of our legal access programs and the Counsel for Children Initiative. The Legal Orientation Program, Immigration Court Helpdesk, and Family Group Legal Orientation Program help families, children, and individuals better understand their rights and obligations before immigration court. The Counsel for Children Initiative provides legal representation to children in immigration court proceedings.
Shaina Aber, Executive Director of the Acacia Center for Justice issued the following statement in response:
“Acacia’s legal access programs support a fair and orderly immigration system by helping children, families, and individuals better understand their rights and obligations while they are in immigration proceedings, a fact that has ensured bipartisan Congressional support for the continuity of these vital programs throughout Republican and Democratic administrations. We provide them with basic yet fundamental information, such as when and where to show up for court. The programs help immigrants and our nation’s immigration courts by ensuring participants understand the court’s orders, know what documentation to provide, and what to expect throughout the process in their native language.
“The U.S. Constitution is clear that all people in the United States have a right to due process, regardless of factors like the color of their skin, country of their birth, or immigration status. Due process of law is not optional, especially when the outcome of someone’s immigration case may result in irreparable harm and deprivation of life or liberty. The harm of eroding access to justice extends beyond those directly impacted into our communities.
“The suspension of these longstanding programs could leave hundreds of thousands of vulnerable immigrants—including children and families—without access to basic legal information and representation. This decision undermines due process and puts lives at risk, disproportionately harming those already facing tremendous hardship. We are ready to work with the Department of Justice to review and rapidly restore these essential services so that Acacia and our partners in the legal field can continue to deliver on the promise of justice for all.”
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