EBCLC’s Immigrant Stories: Call to Action
Thursday, February 9, 2017
“We are tied together in a single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality…And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
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Federal law, community impact:
Immigration policy is a matter of federal law, but its effects are seen most clearly in our nation’s communities: the DACA student at UC Berkeley whose education is disrupted because of fear of deportation; the undocumented parent of a U.S. citizen elementary school student in Oakland now fearful of working to support her child; the local business owner—a green-card holder—who wants to travel home for Eid al-Adha. They all need to understand their rights and know that they have representation if and when they need it–they need community lawyers.
It is important to invest in organizations focused on broad impact litigation and policy advocacy, and it is crucial to also invest in community lawyers helping on the ground. The community lawyer’s role in this balanced approach is much more than supporting individuals with direct services; it is necessary for identifying clients for impact litigation and witnesses for policy advocacy. An investment in community lawyers has a direct and identifiable impact on ensuring that the other investments in impact litigation and policy work pay off.
As we saw at airports across the nation in the last few weeks, it is crucial to have well-trained, committed, organized, and easily deployed lawyers in this ever-shifting political climate. This is necessary to protect our democracy and constitutional rights.
Please donate to EBCLC today to help us expand our existing immigration practice. We are trying to raise $250,000 to bolster this practice, in order to maximize EBCLC’s impact and leverage our position as both a “teaching hospital” and a leading legal aid organization.
This plan will include adding a 6th immigration lawyer and bringing on a new program coordinator/organizer, to provide community legal outreach and education, pro bono and volunteer coordination, and client representation. Our goal is to allow EBCLC to better connect impacted East Bay immigrant communities to the resources that they need, while also training more law students and lawyers to answer the call.
Will you stand with EBCLC as we help our immigrant communities? If so please share our story using #myimmigrantstory or donate.
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