The Justice Department’s program that accredits nonprofit organizations to provide legal aid to low-income immigrants has stalled since March, as its attorneys were reassigned to other offices. This program, part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, certifies non-attorneys from organizations like Catholic Charities to assist immigrants with legal matters. The reassignment left only support staff, who lack the authority to process applications, causing a backlog despite receiving 40 to 60 new applications weekly. The Justice Department insists the program will continue, but the changes have disrupted services for groups like the Resurrection Project in Chicago, which trains and funds legal representatives. Over 330 nonprofits have urged the Acting Attorney General to restore the program’s functionality, as processing times had already been lengthy due to understaffing. The situation highlights the critical need for immigration legal services, especially in states with large undocumented populations like Illinois.
QUESTION: How might the delay in processing applications for legal aid accreditation impact immigrant communities and the organizations that support them?
DOJ office aiding indigent immigrants stalls after lawyers were reassigned
