HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 4/30/2024 - Memorandum From Jc Ward And Leo Escalante Re: Immigration Legal Fund Report 2021-2023281 North College Avenue
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.221.6376
NeighborhoodServices@fcgov.com
cc: Paul Sizemore, Director, Community Development and Neighborhood Services
Marcy Yoder, Sr. Manager, Neighborhood Services
Claudia Menendez, Equity Officer
Community Development & Neighborhood Services
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: April 14, 2024
TO: Mayor Arndt and City Councilmembers
THRU: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director, Planning, Development & Transportation
FROM: JC Ward, Neighborhood Programs Manager, Neighborhood Services
Leo Escalante, Neighborhood Liaison, Neighborhood Services
RE: Immigration Legal Fund Report 2021-2023
This memo provides City Councilmembers with an update on activities performed and
opportunities identified as part of the implementation of the City’s Immigration Legal Fund for the
period of October 2021 to December 2023.
Executive Summary
The City of Fort Collins launched the Immigration Legal Fund (ILF) in October 2021 with a vision
to address the urgent legal needs of its immigrant population. As a pioneering initiative, the ILF
was designed to provide comprehensive, wraparound legal services to the immigrant community
in Fort Collins. This report assesses the ILF's performance from its inception through December
31, 2023, highlighting its achievements, challenges, and areas for future development.
The ILF aimed to achieve three primary objectives: provide urgent and holistic immigration legal
services, reach a broad segment of the immigrant community, and foster trust within this
community. Operationalized through a collaborative framework, the ILF partnered with three grant
recipients: Alianza NORCO, Interfaith Solidarity and Accompaniment Coalition (“ISAAC”), and
Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (“RMIAN”). These organizations were selected for
their expertise in immigration legal services, their established trust within the immigrant
communities of Fort Collins, and the complementarity nature of their service delivery model.
With a budget of $400,000 (combined total for both the pilot and post-pilot phases), the ILF
successfully handled 262 immigration cases, nearly doubling the value of services provided to
$766,900. This surpassed the initial case projection by 330% by the end of 2023, with an 87%
increase in asylum cases following the removal of the 12-month residency requirement. The
program supported individuals from 32 countries, including those from vulnerable groups such as
juveniles, victims of crime and human trafficking, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community,
underscoring its commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
Key recommendations from the pilot phase included eliminating the residency requirement to
further increase accessibility, standardizing reporting methods to streamline operations,
enhancing collaboration with local organizations, exploring diverse funding sources to ensure
sustainability, and offering more comprehensive training for volunteer attorneys. Several of these
improvements have already be implemented in 2023.
As the program is funded through December 2024, it faces challenges such as the need for
increased local legal representation and the need to adapt to evolving federal immigration
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policies. The ILF is a model of engagement with historically underserved populations resulting in
collaborative, community-driven initiatives.
Immigration Legal Fund Overview
The City of Fort Collins Immigration Legal Fund (“ILF”) was approved by City Council in 2021 to
provide funds to community organizations and legal service providers to offer immigrant
community members in Fort Collins wraparound, holistic immigration services to meet the most
urgent needs, reach the greatest number of impacted community members, and build trust in
the community. See Appendix A for additional background information. Initially approved as an
18-month pilot beginning in Q4 2021, the ILF received continued funding for services in 2023
and 2024 through the City’s budget process.
Funding was awarded through a competitive grant review process that prioritized awards to
nonprofit organizations with long track records of serving and building trust with the local
immigrant community. Three grant recipients have been providing ILF services since 2021 -
Alianza NORCO, Interfaith Solidarity and Accompaniment Coalition (“ISAAC”), and Rocky
Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (“RMIAN”).
Over the course of the Immigration Legal Fund to date (Oct. 2021-Dec. 2023), the City’s
investment:
Assisted Fort Collins residents in 262 immigration cases
Provided legal services valued at $766,900 (pro bono rates) for a $400,000 program
cost
Outperformed projected case numbers by 330% through 2023
Saw an 87% increase in asylum cases after removing the 12-month residency
restriction
Demonstrated the high need for legal services for victims of crime, human trafficking,
violence against women, abuse or neglect, and threat of death or torture with 30% of total
services from these case types (78 cases)
Served 61 juveniles ages 3 months to 18 years (23% of all cases)
Represented at least 74 clients with intersectional vulnerabilities including
unaccompanied minors, single parents, disabled residents, and LGBTQIA+ community
members
Aided clients from 32 countries, including 6 who were born in the United States
Served many long-term residents with 20% of clients living in Fort Collins for 20 years
or more
Immigration Legal Fund Pilot Program – Case Data 2021-2022
To address the unmet need of legal representation in immigration cases and educational
programming to raise awareness of available options to attain citizenship or lawful presence,
the Immigration Legal Fund pilot program was established by the City of Fort Collins. The ILF
was approved for an 18-month pilot program to grant funds to nonprofit organizations and legal
service providers to offer holistic immigration legal services for Fort Collins residents.
The pilot program received a $150,000 midcycle appropriation from the City of Fort Collins and
three nonprofit organizations were chosen as grant recipients, each receiving $50,000. The
organizations selected by the City's grant review team included Alianza NORCO, ISAAC, and
RMIAN. A profile of each of the grant recipients and their delivery models are included in the
following section. The pilot program’s funding and services wrapped up in December 2022. The
program outperformed all projected metrics during the pilot period and was proposed for
continued funding through the City’s regular budget process.
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Case types tracked and their definitions are included in Table 1.
Table 1 – Case Types and Definitions
Case Type and Abbreviation Definition of Case Type
U Visa
Temporary visa for victims of violent crime
Asylum
Permanent lawful presence for victims of persecution or fear of
harm or death upon return to home country
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)
Temporary status for abused, neglected, or abandoned children
that allows the client to apply for permanent Lawful Permanent
Resident status
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Temporary status for youth who arrived in the U.S. during a
specified time period
Violence Against Women Act Visa (VAWA)
Temporary status for victims of domestic violence or crimes
outlined in the Violence Against Women Act that allows the client
to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status
T Visa/Office of Trafficking In Persons (OTIP)
Four-year visa for victims of human trafficking that allows certain
clients to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status
Lawful Permanent Resident Status (LPR)
Permanent authorization to live in the United States as a non-
citizen (sometimes known as “green card” residents)
Removal Cancellation
Status adjustment by an immigration judge from ‘subject to
deportation’ to ‘lawful admittance for permanent residence’
under certain circumstances
Work Authorization Approval to work in the U.S. based on eligibility, available to a
variety of visa and status designations
Detention/Deportation Cases for clients being held in immigration detention facilities, on
bond/monitoring, or otherwise facing deportation (removal)
proceedings; clients under the ILF must have and assert their
right to lawful presence in legal arguments to the immigration
court
Adjustment of Status Process to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status or to
move from one category of visa to another
Figure 1 compares the projected number of cases against actual cases in the three main case
categories.
Actual numbers exceeded the projections in the categories of "SIJS" and "Affirmative Relief", while
in "Detention/Deportation" the actual number was below the projection. Tracking case types during
the pilot program indicated that some cases could be classified as Detention/Deportation as well
as another case type because the outcome of that case could result in deportation. Service
providers were also unclear if “detention/deportation” cases included those of clients with ankle
monitors or out on bond. The overall actual total of all cases significantly exceeded the projected
total.
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Figure 1 - Comparison of Projected vs Actual Case Numbers During the Pilot Program
Immigration Legal Fund Post-Pilot – Case Data 2023-2024
The Immigration Legal Fund received a Council appropriation as part of the budgeting for
outcomes process for $250,000 annually for implementation years 2023 and 2024. Service
provider grant recipients were again determined through a competitive, open application process
and Alianza NORCO, ISAAC, and RMIAN were selected to continue their work in this space
under the ILF. Cumulative and year-over-year comparative program performance are detailed in
the “outcomes” sections below.
Using the initial case number projections, Figure 2 shows that the Immigration legal Fund
program continued to exceed initial projections throughout 2023, after the pilot period had ended.
The actual numbers were much higher than projected in the "SIJS" and "Affirmative Relief"
categories, while for "Detention/Deportation" the actual number was once again less than
projected. Consistent with pilot program metrics, the overall actual case totals continue to be
greater than projected totals.
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Figure 2 -Post Pilot-Program - Comparison of Projected vs. Actual
Overview of ILF Grant Recipients/Service Providers
Grant recipients chosen for the Immigration Legal Fund were those with an ability to increase
capacity and help create an infrastructure of services including legal clinics, “Ask A Lawyer”
advice sessions, and representation. Each organization has a different service delivery model,
resulting in a complementary suite of services and referrals.
Figure 3 shows the percentage and number of cases handled by the service providers
throughout the 18-month pilot period and 2023. It's important to note that the number of cases
handled by the service providers was mainly the result of their respective service delivery
models.
Figure 3- Distribution of Cases by Service Provider
The following section gives an overview of these organizations and provides their mission,
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services, target populations, and respective logic models.
Alianza NORCO
Alianza NORCO is a nonprofit organization established in 2017 by Mexican and Salvadoran
immigrant women and their allies. Their mission is: “To Strengthen and empower the immigrant
community and their families through key services, civic education, leadership development,
and community organizing.”1
Alianza NORCO’s services include family preparedness workshops, Know Your Rights
trainings, and citizenship information nights. Prior to the ILF pilot program, Alianza NORCO did
not offer direct legal representation. Instead, they provided legal referrals and partnered with
legal service providers to host immigrant support-related workshops while simultaneously
building their Legal Services Program.
Service Delivery
Funding received through the Immigration Legal Fund pilot program as well as other funding
sources, allowed Alianza NORCO to hire a full-time, local immigration attorney, expand its legal
services program, and begin offering direct representation, brief legal advice appointments, and
a expanded outreach and education program on immigration legal matters. Alianza NORCO
primarily serves non-detained immigrants, assisting with affirmative cases such as family
reunification, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications, adjustment of status, work
authorization, citizenship applications, and DACA renewals.
Alianza NORCO began providing direct representation in Q3 2022, a slight delay from the
original projected service start date. This was due to challenges in attracting and hiring an
immigration attorney. Alianza NORCO also experienced a brief pause in legal services when
their attorney position turned over during the pilot phase of the program. However, throughout
the entire pilot phase, Alianza NORCO worked on other components needed to set up their
immigration legal services program, such as identifying case management software, training
staff and volunteers in the Comprehensive Overview of Immigration Law to obtain Department
of Justice accreditation, and streamlining their intake process. In 2022, Alianza NORCO held
37 brief advice consultations and worked with 17 clients . In 2023, the organization represented
clients in 65 cases and provided 190 brief advice consultations with trained paralegal staff and
immigration attorneys.
ISAAC
The Interfaith Solidarity and Accompaniment Coalition (“ISAAC”) is a broad coalition of faith-
based organizations that works in collaboration with other nonprofits and school districts in
Larimer County and formed in late 2016. Their mission is: "As interfaith people of conscience,
we draw on the teaching of our faiths to work in solidarity for human dignity and immigration
justice, co-creating communities of welcome, recognition, healing and accompaniment."2
ISAAC’s Emergency Immigration Fund has been providing crisis funding and legal support to
families since 2017, focusing on filling the gaps while advocating for systemic and institutional
change.
1 Alianza NORCO. (n.d.). Alianza NORCO. Accessed from https://alianzanorco.org/en/
2 About ISAAC — ISAAC NOCO. (n.d.). ISAAC NOCO. Accessed from https://isaacnoco.org/about-isaac
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Service Delivery
ISAAC offers direct assistance in the form of “scholarships” for legal matters, including
immigration cases, that clients pay to their chosen attorney. ISAAC works closely with qualified
attorneys to negotiate pro-bono or low-cost rates for their clients’ attorney referral network.
ISAAC focuses on immigration cases involving high levels of vulnerability, such as youth
(SIJS/DACA), victims of violence and crimes, people with disabilities, the elderly, and
emergency cases of deportation or family separation. The majority of ISAAC’s scholarships go
to removal defense clients (deportation cases). This scholarship model does not necessarily
provide full case funding so many clients pay the balance or access other programmatic
resources to close out their cases. The model does allow for flexibility in its awards, paying for
filing fees, translation services, or required mental health assessments and biometric scans for
immigration cases.
ISAAC's existing Emergency Immigration Fund and program administration allowed for rapid
deployment of funds received through the ILF and began providing support to immigrants in
Fort Collins. Over the course of the program, ISAAC funded 72 cases, these included 29
asylum cases , visas for victims of crime and domestic violence, and Lawful Permanent
Resident (“green card”) cases. In addition to its scholarships, ISAAC began hosting community-
based immigration clinics in partnership with other local organizations with ILF funds.
RMIAN
The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (“RMIAN”) is a nonprofit organization with
over 20 years of experience advancing justice for individuals in civil immigration detention
facing removal proceedings. Their mission: “RMIAN is a nonprofit organization that serves low-
income men, women, and children in immigration proceedings. RMIAN promotes knowledge of
legal rights, provides effective representation to ensure due process, works to improve
detention conditions, and promotes a more humane immigration system, including alternatives
to detention.”3 RMIAN's target population for ILF includes Fort Collins residents at the Aurora
Immigration Detention Center as a priority, followed by representation for children and families
from Fort Collins in removal cases.
Service Delivery
As an organization that employs multiple full-time attorneys who are available for direct legal
representation, RMIAN benefited from its existing immigration legal work when beginning its
services under the ILF. They were able to take on two new clients from Fort Collins in the first
quarter of the pilot program. The ILF grant allowed RMIAN to combine those funds for Fort
Collins residents with other municipal immigration legal funding to hire an additional attorney for
the increased workload. RMIAN's focus on representation throughout the duration of
immigration cases allows them to gain a deep understanding of their clients’ circumstances and
better shepherd cases through the system.
To date under the ILF, RMIAN has represented clients in 35 cases, out of which 12 cases were
resolved and 23 remain active. RMIAN’s clients were involved in a variety of case types, such
as bond requests, cancellations of removal, asylum applications, employment applications, and
more. Because RMIAN is Denver-based and active at the Detention Center in Aurora, they
mainly service clients at risk of detention and deportation. In addition to direct legal
representation by RMIAN’s attorneys, the organization makes referrals to a vetted network of
3 About Us — RMIAN. (n.d.). RMIAN. Accessed from https://www.rmian.org/about-us
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pro-bono attorneys to expand access and continue making progress toward achieving universal
representation.
Outputs and Outcomes
To determine the effectiveness of the City of Fort Collins Immigration Legal Fund and improve
the program, a mixed-method program assessment was conducted in Q1 2023 to analyze
whether the established goals were met, identify progress made, identify barriers and
challenges as well as areas for improvement, and ultimately provide a list of recommendations
to increase the program's effectiveness and impact in the community. As part of the program
evaluation, interviews were conducted with staff from the grant recipient organizations, City
staff, and program participants. Administrative data and quarterly grant recipient reports were
also analyzed as part of that process.
The program assessment, metrics, and client narratives give an overview of the short-term
outcomes of the program. However, the ILF has only existed in Fort Collins since late 2021 and
long-term outcomes are difficult to measure within that timeline of the program, particularly
because many immigration cases do not resolve quickly. Case resolution alone is also not an
adequate metric to determine short-term or long-term outcomes for this program, given that
ending one type of immigration process is often a prerequisite for starting or continuing another
process.
Aggregate Outputs from All Service Providers (2021-2023)
Overall service providers assisted individuals from 32 countries, Table 2 shows all countries of
origins for clients served across all three service providers.
Table 2 – Countries Served by the ILF
Countries Served by the
Immigration Legal Fund
Argentina El Salvador
Mexico
Serbia
Brazil Ghana
Nicaragua
Tanzania
Canada Guatemala
Nigeria
Thailand
Chile Haiti
Pakistan
Turkey
Colombia Honduras
Palestine
Uganda
Costa Rica India
Peru
Ukraine
Cuba Japan
Poland
United States
Dominican Republic Libya
Saudi Arabia
Venezuela
Table 3 presents data on the types of cases or services provided by all grant recipients over a
three-year period (2021, 2022, and 2023), along with the grand totals for each case type and the
overall total cases handled.
Table 3 – Number of Each Case Type by Year
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Case Type/Service 2021 2022 2023 Grand Total
Asylum 4 3 37 44
Brief Advice 23 23
DACA 2 1 14 17
Detention/Deportation 1 3 3 7
Employment Authorization 5 7 12
LPR 1 14 30 45
Naturalization/Citizenship 10 18 28
SIJS 4 19 29 52
T Visa/OTIP 1 1 1 3
U Visa 4 9 12 25
VAWA 2 4 6
Grand Total 19 92 151 262
There was an increase in the total number of cases handled from 19 in 2021 to 92 in 2022, and
then to 151 in 2023, indicating a significant growth in service demand and/or capacity over the
three years. Asylum cases saw an increase from 3 in 2022 to 37 in 2023, reflecting the impact of
removing the 12-month residency requirement. Figure 4 displays the number of cases or services
provided annually by all three service providers, from 2021 to 2023.
Figure 4 – Number of Each Case Type by Year
Program Cost/Value Assessment
Attorney costs by case type in the Fort Collins market were obtained from nonprofit immigration
service providers operating before the outset of the Immigration Legal Fund and are based on
actual attorney and legal staff costs. The amounts listed cover limited filing fees associated with
the pro bono representation but do not include bond amounts that can range from $5,000 to
$25,000 in Colorado.
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Table 4 shows the main categories of cases, the number of cases during the ILF Pilot Program,
pro bono legal costs per case in the Fort Collins market, and pro bono legal costs without the
program. Attorney costs by case type in the Fort Collins market were obtained from nonprofit
immigration service providers operating before the outset of the Immigration Legal Fund and are
based on actual attorney and legal staff costs. The amounts listed cover limited filing fees
associated with the pro bono representation but do not include bond amounts that can range from
$5,000 to $25,000 in Colorado.
Table 4 – Pro Bono Legal Costs Pilot Phase
Pro Bono Legal Costs and Case Distribution for ILF Pilot Program (2021-2022)
Case Type
No. of Cases
during the ILF
Pilot Program
Pro Bono Legal
Costs Per Case in
Fort Collins market
Pro Bono Legal
Costs Without
Program
Detention/Deportation/Removal Cancellation 4 $6,000 $24,000
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) 23 $4,000 $92,000
“Affirmative Cases”- DACA, LPR, or Naturalization 28 $1,000 $28,000
Asylum 7 $8,000 $56,000
Violence Against Women (VAWA), Victims of
Crime (U Visa), Victims of Human Trafficking (T
Visa/OTIP) 21 $2,000 $42,000
Legal Consultation/Brief Advice 23 $300 $6,900
TOTAL* $248,900
TOTAL ILF PILOT PROGRAM COST** $150,000
*Represents the hypothetical scenario where these services would need to be paid for without the support
of the program.
** Refers to the total cost of the ILF Pilot Program from Q4-2021 to Q4-2022
Table 5 shows the breakdown the number of cases during the ILF Program in 2023 by case
type, associated pro bono legal costs in the Fort Collins market and costs without the program.
Table 5 – Pro Bono Legal Costs 2023
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Pro Bono Legal Costs and Case Distribution for ILF Program (2023)
Case Type
No. of Cases
during the ILF
Program 2023
Pro Bono Legal
Costs Per Case in
Fort Collins market
Pro Bono Legal
Costs Without
Program
Detention/Deportation/Removal Cancellation 3 $6,000 $18,000
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) 29 $4,000 $116,000
“Affirmative Cases”- DACA, LPR, or Naturalization 62 $1,000 $62,000
Asylum 37 $8,000 $296,000
Violence Against Women (VAWA), Victims of
Crime (U Visa), Victims of Human Trafficking (T
Visa/OTIP) 13 $2,000 $26,000
Legal Consultation/Brief Advice 0 $300 $0
TOTAL* $518,000
TOTAL ILF PROGRAM COST FOR 2023** $250,000
*Represents the hypothetical scenario where these services would need to be paid for without the support
of the program.
** Refers to the total cost of the ILF Program from the year 2023 ($250,000)
Outputs by Service Provider
Table 6 summarizes the outputs by service provider from 2021 to 2023, providing an overview of
the activities and services delivered in alignment with their respective service delivery model.
Table 6 – Outputs by Service Provider (2021-2023)
Outputs By Service Provider (2021 - 2023)
Organization
Number of
Cases/EIF
Scholarships
Granted
No. of
Workshops
No. of Clients
for Direct
Legal
Services
No. Brief
Advice
Meetings
No.
Ongoing
Cases
No.
Closed/Resolved
Cases
Alianza
NORCO 82 18 309 227 0 0
ISAAC 72 2 0 0 0 0
RMIAN 35 2 35 0 23 12
Grand Total 189 22 344 227 23 12
Figure 5 shows the number of cases handled by all three service providers over the period Q1
2021 to Q4 2023. It is important to note that Alianza NORCO had its first clients in Q3 2022
because it did not have existing legal services prior to this program and needed the time to ramp
up for service delivery. ISAAC exhausted program funds and had no ILF-funded cases in Q3 2022,
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Q4 2022, or Q4 2023.
Figure 5 – Cases per Quarter (2021-2023)
Figures 6-8 illustrate the number of cases or services managed by each grant recipient
organization across case and service categories over consecutive quarters. ISAAC's chart,
covering 2021 Q4 to 2023 Q3, highlights peaks in Asylum cases in 2022 Q2 and consistent
activity in the SIJS category. Alianza NORCO's data from 2022 Q3 to 2023 Q4 shows a surge in
Naturalization/Citizenship services in 2023 Q1 and a high volume of Brief Advice cases in 2022
Q4. RMIAN's chart, spanning 2021 Q4 to 2023 Q4, indicates an uptick in Employment
Authorization cases in 2023 Q1 and a notable number of T Visa/OTIP cases in 2023 Q2.
Figure 6 – Cases per Quarter – Alianza NORCO (2021-2023)
Figure 7 – Cases per Quarter – ISAAC (2021-2023)
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Figure 8 – Cases per Quarter – Alianza NORCO (2021-2023)
Outcomes
Outcomes are the direct results of the program's activities. ILF Outcomes noted during the
program assessment include:
Enhanced Access to Legal Services:
o Broadened Reach: Legal services made accessible to those previously unable to afford
them.
o Quality of Representation: Access to higher-quality legal representation provided.
Economic Contributions and Workforce Integration:
o Work Authorization: Assistance provided in obtaining work authorization.
Leveraging Community Resources:
o Partnership Opportunities: Creation of partnerships among stakeholders.
o Volunteer Engagement: Mobilization of volunteers to support legal assistance efforts.
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Pilot Phase Recommendations
Although the pilot phase of the Immigration Legal Fund outperformed projected case numbers
and received positive feedback from program participants and grant recipients, there were
several opportunities for improvement identified to increase the ILF's impact in the community.
The cadence of the City’s budget processes limited the ability to implement some
recommended changes to the program between the pilot phase and continuation of the ILF in
2023. Comparative results between outcomes in 2023 and 2024 may better demonstrate the
actual impact of the pilot phase recommendations since program updates could be made prior
to 2024 implementation.
1. Remove 12-month Residency Requirement – A major limitation expressed by all grant
recipients was the 12-month residency requirement, as it prevented service providers from
using grant funding to help individuals who, due to their immigration case specifics, have
not established residency in Fort Collins for 12 months or longer. This effectively restricted
individuals like asylum seekers and refugees from obtaining much needed support, as
they are fleeing precarious situations in their home countries, and must file applications for
status within their first 12 months of arrival. This limitation was removed for the 2023
continuation of the ILF and resulted in 87% increase in asylum cases that year.
2. Standardize Reporting - During the pilot program, grant recipients provided individual
quarterly reports in slightly different formats. For example, in the interest of client
anonymity, some reports provide aggregate demographic data rather than detailing data
associated with an individual and their case type or outcome. Standardizing reporting
practices will reduce the time spent by grant recipients completing their respective reports
and capture more consistent demographic and case-specific data, allowing for a more
robust and thorough assessment and increase the likelihood that trends surface. Quarterly
reporting templates are being provided to grant recipients for 2024 and a
collaboration/training workshop is currently scheduled to cover the updated reporting
process.
3. Collaboration is key - Grant recipients would benefit from continued collaboration with one
another, the City of Fort Collins, and other governmental organizations like Larimer County.
Government entities can leverage their substantial resources to disseminate promotional
information, and to sponsor or organize more community events tied to additional
programmatic goals.
4. Continue seeking diverse funding sources – As two of the grant recipients under ILF are
relatively new organizations, they and the program would continue to benefit from exploring
additional, diverse funding streams and partnerships that could enhance wraparound
immigration legal services. Divergent service delivery models led to one service provider
exhausting ILF grant funds prior to the end of the funding cycle each time because their
funds go directly to clients as scholarships. This makes monthly expenditures
unpredictable since they depend on the case types and number of clients applying for
services each month and are not set costs. An assessment at the end of 2024 program
delivery should include analysis of whether equal distribution of the ILF funds is effective,
given the diversity of the delivery models.
5. Provide more training for volunteer attorneys - Training volunteer attorneys could
drastically expand local capacity and take some pressure off ISAAC and Alianza NORCO.
Not to mention that if the volunteer attorney trainings are then followed by legal clinics,
immigration matters that are less complex like completing a naturalization form could be
handled at a larger scale, once again, freeing up attorneys’ capacity to concentrate on the
more complicated and lengthy cases.
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Impacts
Over the three years of the Immigration Legal Fund, Neighborhood Services staff
observed indicators of increased trust from community members through public
participation. Undocumented residents are contributing public comments to City Council
frequently on a range of issues including minimum wage and occupancy. These
residents are also organizing and attending community meetings, openly identifying
themselves as undocumented.
During the program assessment and in client evaluations, undocumented community
members expressed that they feel safer participating in public processes because of
efforts by the City to address their needs. These clients were also more likely to refer
others to the Immigration Legal Fund. Additional client evaluation data will be available
at the end of 2024 as cases resolve.
Future Considerations
Local Legal Representation: The only private immigration attorney in Fort Collins is no
longer handling deportation cases except those of unaccompanied minors, widening the
gap in available local services. This change leaves the Immigration Legal Fund as the
only local option for representation in most detention and deportation cases.
Adapting to Federal Policy Changes: Immigration policy changes at the Federal level
require constant monitoring and adaptation for the ILF. For example, pending federal
immigration legislation could change the ability to assist with asylum cases. Adaptation
of educational materials to reflect changes in legislation will continue to impact the
budget for the program and its grant recipients. A federal decision regarding Temporary
Protected Status allowing work authorization for some Venezuelan newcomers in 2022
was unanticipated at the outset of this program. This has led to a greater need for legal
support that would authorize employment and navigation services to connect workers
and employers.
Budget Next Steps: The Immigration Legal Fund has approved funding through
December 2024 and has contracts in place with grant recipients to continue their
services until that time. A Budgeting for Outcomes offer will be submitted to propose to
the City Manager and City Council continuation of this program.
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Appendix A – Immigration Legal Fund Background
As of 2021, the immigrant community represented approximately 7.3% of the Fort Collins
population. This local immigrant community is comprised of people born in another country who
now call the United States home and within this community, 58.7% are naturalized U.S. citizens
while 41.3% are not. Out of this 41.3% who are not currently U.S. citizens, approximately 2,200
are eligible for naturalization and 2,300 are estimated to be undocumented and at risk for
deportation. Those eligible for naturalization are lawful permanent residents (“LPR”) who, due
to various obstacles such as complex processes, high fees, rapidly changing policies and
federal legislation, and/or lack of awareness about potential pathways to citizenship, have yet
to begin the naturalization process or have had to pause it. Among those currently considered
ineligible for naturalization are non-immigrant visa holders, undocumented migrants, and
temporary residents. However, many immigrants ineligible for naturalization have other
pathways to lawful presence in the U.S. One of the biggest challenges noted by ILF service
providers is that both immigrants eligible for naturalization and those eligible for various
statuses that would allow for lawful presence face layers of complexity in existing processes
during their immigration journey. Immigrants often move through different status designations
after arrival in the U.S., each with a separate process that incurs additional fees and may
require the expertise of an immigration attorney to navigate. Prior to implementation of the ILF
in Fort Collins, there was no concerted outreach program to inform immigrants of available
relief or to educate about immigration processes. The Immigrant and Refugee Center in
Greeley was the nearest source for formal, regular education programming but the lack of
transportation options prevented most Fort Collins residents from accessing those resources,
some of which are also limited to participation by residents of Greeley or Weld County only.
Economic Disparity
In Fort Collins, immigrants without U.S. citizenship, including those lacking lawful presence,
experience significant social vulnerability across various socioeconomic indicators. These
include higher poverty rates, with 22.2% living below 100% of the poverty line compared to
15.4% of native-born individuals. Additionally, they face higher levels of family poverty (14.7%
versus 4.5% for native-born individuals) and increased poverty among households headed by
single females (32.5% compared to 17.5%). Economic disparities can cause various problems
such as limited access to education, poor health outcomes, food insecurity, unstable housing,
and fewer job opportunities. These issues often overlap and exacerbate each other. These
economic disparities tend to be intergenerational, increasing the likelihood of creating a poverty
trap and perpetuating the cycle of poverty for individuals and families, from which it is difficult to
escape.
Legal Representation
Like the criminal justice system, immigration courts allow for detention of those accused of
wrongdoing under their area of law. Criminal court cases are heard under the federal Judicial
Branch where defendants have the right to an attorney even if they cannot afford one.
Immigration court, overseen by an Executive Branch Administrative Agency, does not require
representation by an attorney and does not provide access to immigration attorneys regardless of
age or income of the individual in immigration proceedings. This sometimes leads to cases where
even young children are representing themselves in immigration court proceedings without an
adult, guardian, or attorney present. Fort Collins also has a greater need for representation in
cases for clients of all ages than available private immigration attorneys to represent clients who
can afford the services. When the ILF began in 2021, only one full-time immigration attorney was
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practicing in the city and had a private practice, making legal representation unattainable for
every community member in need.
Immigration Legal Fund Pilot Program
To address the unmet need of legal representation in immigration cases and educational
programming to raise awareness of available options to attain citizenship or lawful presence,
the Immigration Legal Fund pilot program was established by the City of Fort Collins. Its goals
are to help families stay together, keep the community safe, and improve access to City
services for all community members regardless of documentation status by removing barriers to
full participation in the community and public processes. The ILF was approved for an 18-month
pilot program to grant funds to nonprofit organizations and legal service providers to offer
holistic immigration legal services for Fort Collins residents.
Pilot program participation required a 12-month residency in Fort Collins prior to application to
the program. This eligibility requirement was implemented to address concerns about
incentivizing further migration to the city. The residency requirement was ultimately removed
after the pilot phase of the program, as it proved to be an obstacle that prevented asylum
seekers; a high priority subset of immigrants fleeing torture, threat of death, and other
persecution in their home countries; from receiving assistance. This is because asylum seekers
must file an application for status within their first 12 months of arriving in the U.S. so the pilot
program’s residency requirement made almost all asylum cases ineligible for the ILF.
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