Legal representation keeps families together and strengthens public health

Two years ago, New Jersey created the groundbreaking Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative (DDDI), a legal representation program that offers appointed counsel to indigent immigrants who are detained and facing deportation in the in the state. A new report by the New Jersey Coalition for Immigrant Representation analyzes DDDI’s first year and reveals the program’s impact in preserving family unity, protecting due process and assisting vulnerable individuals in immigration detention.