NJ distributes $20M for legal aid for immigrants facing deportation, detention

New Jersey officials announced on Friday the allocation of more than $20 million to support legal services to help immigrants facing detention or deportation.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, included $20.2 million for the so-called deportation defense initiative in the current state budget, more than double the amount provided last year. The money will now go to law schools, the state’s public defender office, and various immigrant advocates and support organizations, according to state officials.

Sherrill said that with the Trump administration’s push to detain and deport millions here illegally, New Jersey had to take action to protect people’s rights to a fair hearing. This includes representing low-income people held at Delany Hall, the 1,000-bed migrant jail in Newark that has faced growing scrutiny after three people died while being held or processed there.

“Our immigrant community should not have to face a complex and daunting legal system without anyone in their corner. I am proud that my Administration has quickly mobilized State resources and partnerships to help put legal counsel in reach for those who have been impacted by the federal government’s detrimental immigration policies,” Sherrill said in a statement.

Sherrill said the number of immigrants facing prolonged detention without a hearing or other protections is growing as ICE actions ramp up and more people are being held. The Trump administration is also pushing to convert a massive warehouse in Morris County into a migrant jail, a project opposed by residents, GOP local officials, and Democrats like Rebecca Bennett, who defeated GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. earlier this month and will represent the area in Congress come January.

“As ICE activity continues to impact immigrant communities, we remain committed to ensuring that those facing detention or deportation have meaningful access to counsel and the opportunity to be heard,” said Human Services Commissioner Stephen Cha, whose office oversees the program.

The state-funded deportation defense initiative provides free legal advice to low-income immigrants through a partnership with Legal Services of New Jersey, which provides pro bono legal aid; the social justice group American Friends Service Committee; and the law schools at Rutgers and Seton Hall. These groups will receive $13 million, state officials said.

The remaining funds will be distributed to the Office of the Public Defender and a handful of other advocacy or legal groups: Church World Service, NJ Consortium for Immigrant Children, Immigration and American Citizenship Organization, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Newark, and the International Rescue Committee, according to the state.