Chicago Fund Means More Immigrants Getting Legal Help

Chicago established a $1.3 million fund months ago, before Trump entered office, to help provide legal services for immigrants facing deportation. As a result, there’s been a big spike in immigrants with legal representation. The number of immigrants represented by lawyers at deportation hearings jumped from 30 percent in May to 57 percent in August. Over 1,500 Chicago residents have received free legal screenings, while immigrants have had representation in court for 766 cases. Legal representation is important because immigrants aren’t guaranteed a lawyer in immigration court and only 37 percent facing deportation proceedings have legal representation.