Campaign for Universal Representation

We are proud to announce that our bill HB-1194 to create a statewide Immigration Legal Defense Fund has passed the state House and Senate and will become law as soon as it is signed by Governor Polis!

Universal representation in immigration court should be a national mandate. As we continue to push for equity, individual cities and states across the nation have risen to stand up for the immigrants in their communities.

Five states have already created statewide immigration legal defense funds: Oregon, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and California

In 2017, in the wake of a growing wave of national anti-immigrant sentiment and policies, advocates and leaders in the Denver metro area worked to create the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund (DILSF) to provide free, quality legal services for Denver residents in immigration proceedings through local non-profits. With the Denver program, Colorado has taken a step towards leading the national movement for a “public defender” system for immigrants.

This year, our Campaign for Universal Representation took the next step by championing a bill to create a Colorado statewide legal defense fund! This bill will create a fund similar to the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund (DILSF). Through the statewide fund, Coloradans with a deportation case would qualify to receive a free lawyer if they cannot afford one. As the fund grows, more and more Colorado immigrants will be able to face detention and deportation with crucial access to legal representation.