The city of Los Angeles announced they will launch a $10 million legal defense fund for immigrants facing deportation. The move comes as immigration activists are bracing for Donald Trump’s entrance into the White House. He has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared the introduction of the L.A. Justice Fund on Monday – a $10 million-dollar war chest funded by the city of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and outside parties to assist with immigrants’ legal costs.
“People who have built their lives in America have rights, and they deserve all of the protections that our legal system provides,” stated Mayor Garcetti. “The L.A. Justice Fund will reach out to people who are American by every measure except the papers they hold — our family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. They are part of our community, and we will fight for them.”
The L.A. Justice Fund is set to begin helping illegal immigrants in early 2017 – just as Trump is to begin his first term.
Similar measures are being taken in other liberal cities, such as Chicago and New York. Experts have estimated that only about 37 percent of immigrants facing deportation have access to attorneys.
