The new policy, approved 6-1 by the school board, will let LAUSD lawyers spend 1-3 hours a week volunteering their time with students who are facing deportation. This pro bono work can include everything from researching evidence and preparing documents to representing the students in court. At least 10 employees have already expressed an interest in participating thus far.
The policy was adopted on the basis of a report compiled by LAUSD staff on the current condition of illegal immigrants in the district. According to the report, over 5,000 unaccompanied minors in the Los Angeles area currently have cases pending before local immigration courts. Of these 5,000, about 60 percent have no attorney representing them (deportation is a civil matter, so defendants are not provided a lawyer).
LAUSD’s statistics also say that 73 percent of youth with an attorney representing them end up staying in the country, while the rate is just 15 percent for those without one. This huge gap indicates that if LAUSD is successful in providing representation for those who lack it, over 1,700 additional illegal immigrants could win the right to stay.
“There are not enough attorneys representing unaccompanied youth in deportation proceedings, and thousands of children who might otherwise qualify for legal residency are being taken out of their schools in the United States and sent back to the violence and persecution they fled,” the staff report said.
Article Appeared @http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/11/la-deportation-fight/