Should Taxpayers Sponsor Attorneys for Undocumented Immigrants?

Unlike most criminal defendants in the United States, undocumented immigrants facing potential deportation are not constitutionally guaranteed counsel if they aren’t able to afford a private attorney. While for years attorneys and advocates have pressed for publicly funded lawyers in immigration courts, it wasn’t until Donald Trump’s political ascendency that immigrant-friendly local governments began turning those calls into policy—by allocating funding for pro-bono legal services.

While it’s still unclear how sustainable these programs will be, each one offers a one-two punch: a benefit for people lawmakers at least ostensibly want to assist, and another show of defiance against an administration these cities and states largely oppose. Trump’s repeated pledge to deport millions, as well as executive orders , “brought the need into focus,” said Seattle City Councilmember Lorena to offer legal representation within city limits.