The Colorado Fiscal Institute Releases New Report Highlighting the Urgent Need for More Investments in Colorado’s Immigration Legal Defense Fund
New report provides expert insight into how lack of access to legal representation in immigration courts is costing Colorado’s state and local economies
DENVER (May 16, 2024) – The Colorado Fiscal Institute (CFI), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides credible, independent and accessible analysis of fiscal and economic issues facing Colorado, has announced the release of a new report highlighting the urgent need to expand access to state immigration defense services to expeditiously resolve Colorado’s backlog of cases that has tripled between 2019 and 2023 to approximately 47,000 and mitigate economic losses for immigrant families and the communities in which they live.
The report, “Impacts and Benefits for Investing in Immigration Justice: Colorado Immigration Legal Defense Fund” found that immigrants who do not have legal representation are 60% more likely to face deportation and be separated from their families and communities than those who have representation. And yet Colorado ranks last in a national analysis of representation rates, with just 14% of people facing immigration proceedings having access to legal defense.
“Legal representation can dramatically change the outcome of an immigration case and decrease the amount of time spent in detention,” said CFI Policy Analyst and report author Sophie Shea. “Lack of access to legal defense costs Colorado’s state and local economies. More time spent in detention means more lost income, which costs local communities and governments in lost economic activity and tax revenue. Colorado’s diverse economy does not run without immigrant workers. Coloradans benefit from the state’s investment towards welcoming and integrating immigrants, which starts with providing legal representation for immigration court cases.”
The report found that unnecessary detentions between 2021 and 2023 resulted in:
- Immigrants losing $10 million in labor income
- Colorado communities losing $15.8 million in economic activity
- State and local governments losing $894,000 in tax revenue
“Nobody should face the devastating consequences of detention or deportation without someone to defend them in court. The new Colorado Fiscal Institute report demonstrates the transformative impact that legal representation has on keeping families together and promoting economic stability” said Liz Kenney, associate director for the Vera Institute of Justice’s Advancing Universal Representation Initiative. “We thank Governor Polis for his leadership on increasing Colorado’s investment in the Immigration Legal Defense Fund this year in recognition of these crucial impacts. We will continue to work with RMIAN and Mountain Dreamers to fight for universal representation in Colorado and at the national level through the Fairness to Freedom campaign.”
In April, Gov. Jared Polis signed the state’s $40.6 billion budget for the next fiscal year, which allocates $700,000 for the state’s Legal Defense Fund; a 100% increase from this year’s allocation of $350,000 despite less money available for this budget than in previous years. CFI estimates the state will need to invest $5 million annually over the next five years to lay the foundation for a future universal representation program in Colorado.
“Legal representation is not just about justice; it’s an investment in Colorado’s economic resilience and social cohesion,” said Shaleen Morales, Senior Staff Attorney at Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network. “The Colorado Fiscal Institute’s report underscores the critical need to expand access to immigration defense services, not only to keep families together but also to mitigate economic losses for our communities. By prioritizing universal representation, we can build a stronger, more inclusive Colorado for all.”
To view the full report, please visit https://www.coloradofiscal.org/impacts-and-benefits-of-investing-in-immigration-justice-colorado-immigration-legal-defense-fund/library/reports/
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About Colorado Fiscal Institute
The Colorado Fiscal Institute provides credible, independent and accessible information and analysis of fiscal and economic issues facing Colorado. Our aim is to inform and influence policy debates and contribute to sound decisions that improve the well-being of individuals, communities, and the state as a whole. www.coloradofiscal.org.
About Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network
Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Colorado, that works to ensure justice for adults and children in immigration proceedings. RMIAN empowers people through education of legal rights; provides zealous no-cost immigration legal representation to uphold fundamental fairness and due process; promotes the importance of universal representation where anyone in immigration proceedings has access to counsel despite financial barriers; and advocates for a more efficient, functional, and humane immigration system, including an end to immigration detention. Learn more about RMIAN’s work at rmian.org, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @rmian_org.
