Vera Institute of Justice

Many immigrants appear in immigration court without legal representation, which creates significant risk for their future in America or deportation. Experts note that receiving legal help is vital because immigrants are not guaranteed an attorney in these courts, and a study found that 47% were successful in cases where they did have a lawyer. A program coordinating volunteers aims to assist people navigating this complicated legal system.

Immigrants frequently face deportation proceedings without legal representation in immigration court, despite the vital need for counsel to navigate the complicated system. Data shows that individuals who did not have a lawyer were significantly less successful than those who did, highlighting the urgent need for assistance. Coordinator Kamalpreet Chohan leads a program sending volunteer lawyers to help people at these courts.

Many immigrants face deportation without legal representation at immigration courts, where 52% of roughly 3.2 million pending cases lack an attorney according to the Vera Institute of Justice. Volunteer programs are coordinating efforts to assist people navigating this complicated system. Data suggests that having an attorney is vital for success, as 47% of those who had a lawyer were successful compared to only 19% of those who did not.

A report by La Defensa, a legal reform nonprofit, found that Latino defendants in L.A. County Superior Court received average bail amounts 15 times higher than white defendants and three times higher than Black defendants in 2025. The court disputes the findings, citing lack of context on charge severity and criminal history, while La Defensa’s Court Watch LA program uses volunteer observers to document bail disparities.

The Vera Institute of Justice and Dream.org are launching a $500,000 campaign to oppose the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, a bipartisan bill targeting organized retail crime. The groups argue the legislation increases incarceration without addressing root causes and aim to pressure Democrats in the Senate to block its passage. Some Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Summer Lee and Shontel Brown, support the activists' stance.

Voluntary departure agreements in immigration courts increased sevenfold under the Trump administration compared to the Biden era, with critics alleging pressure on immigrants to leave despite legal rights to remain. Detention centers face scrutiny for squalid conditions and mandatory detention policies, prompting concerns about humane treatment and forced exits.

Voluntary departure agreements in immigration courts surged sevenfold under the Trump administration compared to Biden's term, raising concerns about unfair pressure on immigrants to leave despite legal rights to stay. Mandatory detention without bond and squalid detention conditions are cited as factors driving immigrants to accept voluntary departure, which requires paying for their own departure and facing fines for delays.

Voluntary departure agreements in immigration courts increased sevenfold under the Trump administration, with immigrants facing squalid detention conditions and pressure to leave despite legal rights to stay. Mandatory detention policies and dire facility conditions are cited as factors driving immigrants to accept voluntary departure, which requires self-funded departure and fines for delays.

Voluntary departure agreements in immigration courts surged under the Trump administration, with 89,494 cases as of May 1, 2025, compared to 11,977 in the last 16 months of the Biden administration. A mandatory detention policy without bond and squalid detention conditions are cited as factors pressuring immigrants to leave, even if they have legal rights to remain.

A surge in voluntary departure agreements under the Trump administration has raised concerns about unfair pressure on immigrants to leave the U.S., despite legal rights to stay. Mandatory detention policies and squalid detention conditions are cited as factors driving the sevenfold increase compared to the Biden administration's figures.

Voluntary departure agreements in immigration courts surged under the Trump administration, with 89,494 cases by May 2025, a sevenfold increase compared to Biden's 16-month total. Mandatory detention without bond and squalid detention conditions are pressuring immigrants to leave, even if they have legal rights to stay.

Voluntary departure agreements in immigration courts have surged sevenfold under the Trump administration compared to the Biden administration, with concerns that immigrants are pressured to leave due to squalid detention conditions and mandatory detention policies. A lawsuit alleges the Broadview detention center in Illinois pressured immigrants to sign voluntary departure papers.

Voluntary departure agreements in U.S. immigration courts surged sevenfold under the Trump administration compared to the Biden era, with concerns that immigrants are pressured to leave due to squalid detention conditions and mandatory detention policies. The rise coincides with a policy requiring detention without bond, which critics argue forces individuals into costly voluntary departure to escape inhumane facilities.