Protection of Legal Rights

Legal protections are essential if immigrants are to build assets in the US. on a secure basis. Over the past year workplace raids that have rounded up thousands of undocumented workers have not only wiped out millions of dollars of immigrant assets including businesses, but have caused immigrants throughout America to disengage from their communities, churches, and schools.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: On March 7, 2007 an immigration raid in New Bedford, MA, resulted in 400 arrests with most sent immediately to Texas jails. This made it impossible for the more than 100 Boston based lawyers who offered their services pro bono to defend them to do so. Bob Hildreth, the Foundation’s Executive Director, pledged to pay half of the bonds of those jailed in Texas if the families paid the other half. Forty families accepted the offer and their relatives returned to Boston to mount their defense. New Bedford served as a model for the National Immigrant Bond Fund which Bob founded and which provided bonds for over a hundred arrested workers around the country arrested in workplace raids.

This example illustrates how financial assets created for a bond fund lead to stronger immigrant family unity and a deeper involvement in US civic life. It was an opportunity for private sector donors and religious institutions to demonstrate a commitment to immigrant families, key components of asset creation. The Foundation will design programs to support due process including extension of its bond payments and matching offers to pay for legal defense.

Our past projects include
• Bonds for immigrants detained in a large workplace raid in New Bedford, MA. 
• Creation of the National Immigrant Bond Fund
• Fellowships for lawyers providing immigrants legal defense
• Grants to organizations advocating for immigration reform

For media coverage of our legal protections support efforts, click here