BREAKING: Yesterday, we learned DOJ is halting our Legal Orientation Program (LOP) as of April 30th. LOP ensures that all immigrants in detention are provided with essential information they need to navigate the complex legal system, serving over 50K per year. #SaveLOP
THREAD:
THREAD:
Why is LOP vital? In a nation with a long history of being a refuge for immigrants, we must ensure due process to our newest residents who have a legal claim to make this home. #SaveLOP
LOP has operated under Republican and Democratic administrations since its inception in 2003. It’s a legal lifeline for many immigrants – people who would otherwise not have access to due process in court. #SaveLOP
It’s also effective – a 2012 DOJ study concluded that it’s a cost-effective & efficient way to alleviate large backlog of cases in our immigrations courts. #SaveLOP
LOP makes the immigration court system function more effectively. A 2012 report to Senate Appropriations Cmte. showed that detained LOP participants moved through immigration court 12 days faster on average than detained persons who did not participate in the program. #SaveLOP
What's more, immigration court judges have stated that LOP increases immigration court efficiency, and that respondents who have attended LOP are better prepared when they appear in immigration court. #SaveLOP
Continuing to fund LOP also makes fiscal sense. That same study from DOJ found that LOP created a net savings for the government of nearly $18M, or the equivalent of $4 in savings for every $1 spent. #SaveLOP
Halting this program puts immigrant families and communities at serious risk, and from any angle, it simply doesn’t make sense. LOP has had unquestionably positive effects on the immigration court process. #SaveLOP
Because of LOP, detained individuals are able to make informed decisions and are more likely to obtain legal representation at no cost to the government. #SaveLOP
LOP helps ensure that people in immigration court that have a legal a right to be in the country are not deported in error. These people are often facing the most important decisions of their lives. Shouldn’t our government ensure they know their rights? #SaveLOP
Through this work, non-profit legal service providers reach more people needing their guidance, at minimal cost, and cases are more likely to be completed faster. This means fewer court hearings and less time spent in detention. #SaveLOP
Everyone in immigration detention should know where they are. Why they are held. What our courts consider in deciding who can stay in the US. Without LOP, they won't. #SaveLOP
For 13 years – under both Democratic and Republican administrations, upon being established in the George W. Bush administration – that is what LOP has worked to accomplish. #SaveLOP
The information LOP provides also helps clarify for immigrants when they don't have a claim to stay, speeding case processing times and minimizing taxpayer costs. #SaveLOP
We remain committed to providing legal services to immigrant communities and their families to give them due process and access to justice #SaveLOP
