Immigration Legal Services and Wraparound Services

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

In 2019, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved the creation of an Immigration Legal Defense Fund and allocated $100,000 to offer free legal representation for refugee and immigrant residents facing deportation. Through a Joint Powers Agreement with the City of St. Paul, which contributed an additional $50,000, and a one-time grant of $100,000 from the Vera Institute for Justice, a fund totaling $250,000 was developed to support an Immigration Legal Defense Program. Through this program, a collaborative of three immigration legal service providers were contracted to offer free representation to residents who earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and are facing deportation proceedings. As of March 2021, over 200 Ramsey County residents have received intake services and 21 clients have received legal representation. In addition to legal defense, Ramsey County allocated $100,000 of annual funding to support immigrant wraparound services. Since Fall 2019, the County has funded and partnered with 17 community organizations to offer outreach and education, referrals to legal service providers and connections to essential county services for over 400 residents. This program is one of the ways Ramsey County centers racial and health equity in its service provision. It is also an example of how the County advances its goal to strengthen family health, safety and wellbeing.