On September 5, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security announced the rescission of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), putting more than 800,000 “Dreamers” at risk of deportation. In response, the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation (L4GG Foundation) began recruiting volunteer lawyers all over the country to help.
As of today, more than 5,500 lawyers have answered the call.
Since most of the volunteers aren’t full-time immigration lawyers, the L4GG Foundation quickly pulled together an online training program and trained more than 1,500 lawyers in just 72 hours. The training session, which is now available in video format for new L4GG volunteers, was led by Ruben Reyes, an immigration lawyer on the American Immigration Lawyers Association Board of Governors.
Now the L4GG Foundation is working to place volunteers at DACA renewal clinics where there is a need for additional legal support.
This past Friday, the L4GG Foundation launched its newly developed DACA Clinic Volunteer Map, where volunteer lawyers can identify and connect with clinic organizers all over the country. The map currently has information about more than 150 clinics, and volunteer coordinators for every state in the country (and DC) are adding new events daily.
Organizations hosting clinics in need of additional legal support can email support@l4gg.org to learn how to connect with the L4GG Foundation’s army of volunteers.
The Lawyers for Good Government Foundation was created to harness the energy, passion, and skills of more than 125,000 lawyers, law students, and legal activists who joined together in the wake of the presidential election. The organization’s mission is to protect and strengthen democratic institutions, resist abuse of power and corruption, and defend the rights of all those who suffer in the absence of “good government.” To support the organization’s work, please join the L4GG Sustaining Member program or make a one-time donation to the L4GG Foundation.