To: Mayor Ed Lee, Mayor of San Francisco
Urge SF Mayor to fully fund Deportation Defense
Support the San Francisco Public Defenders Office in their request to fund a defense unit for people in detention.
Why is this important?
In detention, immigrants are often subjected to harsh conditions of confinement and denied access to phone calls, family contact. They are not provided legal counsel if they cannot afford it. They might not know they have legal pathways to stay in the country (such as seeking asylum), and often waive their rights without understanding what is happening.
Immigration law is incredibly complex. Immigrants with legal counsel are 5-7 times more likely to be able to legally remain with their families.
Every person deserves legal representation when the stakes are so high. Immigrants in detention include people who have been in the US for years as hard working members of the economy, as well as asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups including children, pregnant women, and individuals who are seriously ill.