Taxpayers in about 50 cities and counties pay more than $66 million for attorneys to detain illegal aliens, foreign criminals and other immigration violators in the United States.
A growing number of deportation defense programs are offering “free” legal advice to foreigners in immigration courts, according to a new study by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI). Such work is often done without public knowledge or consent; it’s just another seemingly innocuous disbursement of local funds to charitable organizations.
What’s not to like? A lot.
The cost of legal aid for illegal aliens adds to the $140 billion migrants spend on other state and local services ranging from schools to hospitals to prisons.
“Amid budget deficits, states, cities and localities across America have progressively cut spending on essential services like police protection and public transportation,” the IRLI report notes. “Nevertheless, the number of jurisdictions setting up means to prevent deportations continues to grow.”
A bevy of open-border organizations are cashing in on like-minded communities. IRLI identified the Vera Institute of Justice as “the chief architect of the nationwide plot to force American taxpayers to fund immigration court defense attorneys for aliens.”
By law, foreign nationals may be represented by an attorney in immigration court proceedings, provided they find, hire, and pay for their own attorney. This makes legal and practical sense.
“But,” IRLI emphasizes, “US citizens do not receive free legal aid if they are threatened with home eviction, mortgage foreclosure, tax liens or motor vehicle repossession. So why should US citizens be forced to pay attorneys to represent foreigners who, at worst, could get a free ride home thanks to Uncle Sam?”
Adding to the mockery is a Texas program that was not included in the IRLI study because it does the criminal defense (abuse?) work. A law firm uses the state’s $4 billion border security program Operation Lone Star, collecting billable hours on behalf of migrants who face charges in local courts. Some lawyers don’t even seem competent.
In a recent case, an attorney for the Lubbock Private Defenders Office went AWOL, leading a bewildered judge to complain, “The bottom line is that attorney isn’t there, and I don’t know where the hell he is.”
Like lawyer, like client?
