DOJ office aiding indigent immigrants stalls after lawyers were reassigned
Summary
The Justice Department's program that approves nonprofit groups to help low-income immigrants with legal aid has stopped approving new applications since March. This happened after the program’s lawyers were moved to other jobs, leaving only support staff who cannot approve applications.Key Facts
- The program is called the Recognition and Accreditation (R&A) program.
- It accredits non-lawyers in nonprofit groups to help immigrants with legal matters like naturalization and court cases.
- Since March, no new applications have been approved because DOJ lawyers were reassigned to immigration courts.
- Support staff remain but cannot approve or deny applications.
- The program still receives 40 to 60 new applications each week.
- More than 330 nonprofits asked DOJ leaders to restore full operation of the program.
- Groups say the cuts are hurting legal help for undocumented immigrants.
- The DOJ said the program is not ending and will continue, but gave no details on when full service will return.
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