FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2024
CONTACT: Madison Allman | press@acaciajustice.org
[WASHINGTON] – The Acacia Center for Justice announced the inception of a new legal access program that will provide immigration services to Ms. L. class members as required by the class action settlement agreement in Ms. L. et al. v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, et al. Sara Van Hofwegen, managing director of Legal Access Programs at Acacia, issued the following statement:
“We are proud to announce the new Legal Access Program for Reunified Families (LASRF), which will provide critical orientation services and pro bono mentoring to children and parents intentionally separated at the southwest border during the Trump administration and who are part of the Ms. L. class. Although this program cannot remedy the harm caused to separated families, we hope that the robust implementation of this program in accordance with the Ms. L settlement agreement will restore a measure of justice to the families continuing to cope with the traumatic aftermath of separation.
“We look forward to bringing Acacia’s zealous, trauma-informed practices to the members of the Ms. L class and remain grateful to our dedicated network of community-based field partners who deliver high quality, person-centered immigration legal services to children, families, and community members across the country.”
Ms. L. is a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of children and parents who were forcibly separated at the U.S. Mexico border between January 20, 2017, and January 20, 2021. The settlement agreement requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) to provide legal access and orientation services to Ms. L class members. The services required by the settlement agreement include:
- Legal advice, though individual consultations and counseling
- Assistance in completing applications and documents to submit before EOIR and DHS
- Preparation for hearings before EOIR and hearings before DHS
- Friend of court services
- Pro se workshops
- Pro Bono placement, training, and mentoring
Class members interested in receiving services should register at together.gov. For additional information about LASRF, please contact Madison Allman, press@acaciajustice.org
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