by Mike Moen
ST. PAUL, Minn. (Public News Service) -Minnesota is among the states where legal aid groups are ramping up their work in response to heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. They say their commitment hasn’t wavered, but this particular field needs more support.
The legal aid community leapt to action after President Donald Trump made statements critical of immigrants from Somalia, referring to them as “garbage.”
Certain immigration enforcement moves are coinciding with those remarks, adding to ongoing ICE activity targeting other populations.
Julia Decker, policy director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, said high demand is something they’re used to, and they’re being put to the test once more.
“The reality is for any legal service provider, I think, in almost any field – whether it’s immigration or other – there will always be more need than there is the ability to provide services,” said Decker. “And the ramped-up changes in immigration policy across the board has amplified that.”
She said right now, the immigration system is increasingly difficult for people to access, making cases time-consuming.
The Vera Institute says limited resources have a clear impact, noting that among people facing deportation in immigration court, 44% have no attorney assisting them.
Decker said she’d like to see law schools improve pathways toward public service, making it a more viable option for aspiring attorneys.
Decker said competitive pay, burnout, and limited government funding are among the obstacles facing legal service groups in recruiting lawyers.
There’s also an emotional toll that comes with seeing a client’s life upended, and the impact felt by their family and surrounding community.
“To have to witness that every day and to come back and do it all again every single day,” said Decker, “that is not something everybody is going to be able to do for an entire career.”
While these challenges are widespread, a Syracuse University research effort says Minnesota falls within the top 10 states for highest legal representation in immigration court. However, those findings were issued a year prior to the second Trump presidency.
As for his rhetoric toward Somalis, President Trump cites high-profile fraud cases in Minnesota. But the Immigrant Law Center says this population is “being unfairly vilified.”
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