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Mayor and City Council Make Deal on Lawyers for Immigrants

Monday, July 31, 2017

Mayor and City Council Make Deal on Lawyers for Immigrants

 

"After months of squabbling over how to pay for immigration-related legal services for undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes and facing deportation, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office and the City Council came to a compromise on Monday.

City Hall had not wanted to use city money to benefit those convicted of one of 170 serious crimes, and under the agreement private donors will contribute $250,000 earmarked for their defense. That ensures that the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, which since 2013 has represented indigent immigrants who have been detained, will continue to exist. That service will remain free, and the city will expand its resources to prioritize those who have not been convicted of the crimes."

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