Vera is committed to securing equal justice for all people, regardless of race, nationality, or country of origin, and to ending mass incarceration while strengthening families and communities. These bedrock values are under siege on our southern border as immigrants flee violence and persecution in pursuit of asylum, family reunification, and a better life in the United States only to face a “zero tolerance” policy. The obstacles facing unrepresented immigrants, and detained immigrants in particular, are immense as they traverse a labyrinth of American immigration law. Yet almost no non-citizens are legally entitled to government-funded representation, and most go unrepresented, facing permanent separation from their loved ones and often unsafe conditions if deported.
This collection of Vera's work spotlights our efforts to expand legal representation and protect due process for immigrants facing detention and deportation.
Operation Streamline
No Evidence that Criminal Prosecution Deters Migration
The mass criminal prosecution and incarceration of people entering the country without authorization along the Southwest border has been acclaimed as a success in deterring others from making the same journey. Analysis by the Vera Institute of Justice and Dr. Jonathan Kringen of the University of New Haven, however, shows that there is no evidence ...
Evaluation of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project
Assessing the Impact of Legal Representation on Family and Community Unity
This study evaluates the impact of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP). NYIFUP is the nation’s first public defender system for immigrants facing deportation—defined as those in removal proceedings before an immigration judge. Funded by the New York City Council since July 2014, the program provides a free attorney to almost all de ...
Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children
Increasing legal representation for immigrant children facing deportation without a parent or legal guardian
Each year, thousands of unaccompanied children, many fleeing unspeakable violence in their own countries, enter the United States. Upon apprehension and after enduring a harrowing journey, they are detained in federal custody in facilities contracted by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), and immediately placed in removal (deportation) procee ...
New York State Becomes First in the Nation to Provide Lawyers for All Immigrants Detained and Facing Deportation
New York, NY – The Vera Institute of Justice and partner organizations today announced that detained New Yorkers in all upstate immigration courts will now be eligible to receive legal counsel during deportation proceedings. The 2018 New York State budget included a grant of $4 million to significantly expand the New York Immigrant Family Unity Pro ...
Legal Orientation Program
The Legal Orientation Program (LOP) educates detained immigrants about their rights and the immigration court process so that they can make informed decisions about their legal cases. Vera works with 18 nonprofit legal service providers to offer orientations about defenses against removal (deportation) and the court process, as well as to assist in ...
The Flow of Unaccompanied Children through the Immigration System
A Resource for Practitioners, Policymakers, and Researchers
Every year, thousands of unaccompanied children are detained in the U.S. immigrant system. These children—who are not afforded the right to free public defense—must often navigate a web of laws, policies, and government agencies alone. Vera, with funding from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), works with a national network of legal service p ...
The Appearance Assistance Program
Attaining Compliance with Immigration Laws Through Community Supervision
This booklet describes the Appearance Assistance Program, highlighting innovative strategies designed to increase compliance.