The mayor of new York announced that this week will run the Fund through private investment, which will Fund legal representation for all indigent immigrants in new York facing deportation, regardless of their criminal history.
Announced on Monday, an anonymous grant in the amount of $ 250,000 U.S. based on the approval of mayor bill de Blasio that taxpayers ‘ money should not be directed at immigrants who are convicted of a crime included in the list of 170 serious offences.
In his Monday interview on New York 1 mayor de Blasio called the anonymous source of the grant of the «Foundation». Neither he nor the municipality did not disclose the source of donations.
The New York Immigrant Family Unity, created in 2013, has provided legal advice to all immigrants in detention who cannot afford a lawyer, regardless of their criminal history. The program used a legal loophole because the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee legal representation to immigrants in court.
According to public defenders, immigrants with convictions under articles from the list, including the charges of burglary, possession of drugs, and rape, murder and arson are particularly affected and have an extremely low chance of being represented by human rights defenders in court.
«Working together, the mayor and city Council agreed that city funds will continue this important service in helping to protect someone, not convicted for the offence of their list of crimes recognized as grave or violent in accordance with the city legislation,» — said the press-Secretary of mayor Freddie Goldstein and the speaker’s Press Secretary Robin Levin in a joint statement on Tuesday. «In addition, we have secured private financing to ensure that even those who are not entitled to be financed from the city budget lawyers will have legal representation».
This year city Council gave NYIFUP donation in the amount of 10 million dollars. The money will be sent to the customers NYIFUP without a criminal record from the list.
NYIFUP was launched as a pilot project by the city Council with funding in the amount of 500 000 USD. This funding has increased every year, and for 2017 is $6.23 million
According to data provided by the municipality, NYIFUP collected 325 customers in the period from December 2016 to 10 may this year. Of those 63 defendants were convicted on articles from the list.
According to the materials GOTHAMIST
