Defending Immigrants; Defrosting ICE
Early one morning last month, two Mauritanian asylum seekers left their apartment building to drive to work. ICE agents were in the middle of conducting a raid, and they pounded on the windows of the Mauritanians’ car.
Both Mauritanians are in the country legally, have work permits and other documentation and are pursuing asylum. Even after showing their papers, they were forced from their car and are now detained in the Aurora, CO detention center.
If they are deported, they will return to a country that is a hotbed for terrorism and where 25% of the residents are slaves.
Immigrant communities in crisis
CIJF is regularly receiving urgent requests for legal services for immigrants detained as a result of these raids.
There are also thousands of both detained and non-detained immigrants in Denver who need assistance with filing I-589 forms to request asylum.
Defending Immigrants; Defrosting ICE
CIJF has created a plan to respond to these developments:
Establish a weekly presence in the Aurora Detention Center: Pay attorneys to spend one day per week in our local detention center to provide rapid response legal services.
Monthly cost: $3,500
Fund full asylum cases: We would like to fund at least 1 additional asylum case per month.
Monthly cost: $5,000, or more, if funding is available
Fund weekly asylum clinics: Fund a legal assistant to support weekly asylum clinics and some of CIJF’s administrative needs.
Monthly cost: $2,000
Full details of the plan are available here.
Funding opportunity
Two generous friends of CIJF have made available a $20,000 matching donation.
In other words, they will match each donation, up to $20,000, which doubles the impact of your donation.
Will you consider partnering with us to support immigrant communities?
With hope and gratitude,
Greg Mortimer, on behalf of the Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund team
