Alyssa Milano joins local leaders to help vulnerable immigrants with legal matters

Over a press conference held on Wednesday, activist and actress Alyssa Milano joined local leaders from the legal and immigrant advocacy communities to highlight the importance of the growing movement to provide legal services to immigrants facing deportation. Nicholas Turner, president of the Vera Institute of Justice, Andrew Nietor, Founder of Nietor Law;  Monika Langarica, Senior Staff Attorney at the American Bar Association Immigration Justice Project; Erika Pinheiro, Policy and Litigation Director at Al Otro Lado; and Lindsay Toczylowski, Executive Director of Immigrant Defenders Law Center. 

Speaking at the conference, Milano said, "In my fifteen years of advocacy around immigration, I have seen how a mother will do anything she can to keep her family safe, even if it means fleeing the only life she has ever known to face an administration that jeers at her arrival and seeks to detain and rapidly deport her without due process of law. At a time when the most vulnerable are being targeted at our borders and in our towns and communities across the US, we should support efforts to uphold due process and a fair day in court for all. That’s why the SAFE Families Fund is so vital, and that’s why I’m partnering with Vera to ensure access to counsel for immigrants."

Nicholas Turner, president of the Vera Institute of Justice, echoed similar emotions saying, "The dehumanization embedded in the immigration court system is a stain on our American values that has spanned generations and administrations. Too many families are ripped apart every day because they are forced to fight for their lives in court without any help from a lawyer or hope for success. The recent escalation of attacks on immigrants have devastated our communities and enraged an entire nation, but they’ve also brought awareness to this hidden problem and galvanized a movement that seeks to correct our legacy of injustice. We’re grateful to have Alyssa Milano join us in the fight for due process and a fair day in court for all immigrants facing deportation, and we hope her leadership inspires others to bring reform to their own communities."

The press conference highlighted local efforts to provide area immigrants with a fair day in court, including powerful stories and examples of successful case outcomes. Held in San Diego’s Civic Center Plaza, it also featured the launch of the new SAFE Families Fund, which will be used to expand programs such as the Vera Institute of Justice’s Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Cities Network, that provides legal services and representation to immigrants facing deportation.