RMIAN Denounces ICE Raids

Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network condemns the ongoing ICE raids happening in Denver and Aurora. While ICE is claiming these raids are targeting individuals charged with crimes, we know that they are sweeping up immigrant community members indiscriminately. RMIAN staff were horrified to see the inhumane and violent approach in yesterday’s raids. 

Shira Hereld, RMIAN Staff Attorney, said "Witnessing the aftermath of the raid was devastating - the amount of fear, confusion, and pain. I was invited into an apartment whose door had been blasted open by flash-bang grenades. Inside, a young girl who didn’t even reach my shoulder held her baby sister, crying. Their mom - their only parent - had been taken by ICE. I also saw dozens of people band together to oppose the raid, to check in on their neighbors, to find quick housing, and to inform people of their rights. These raids simultaneously expose the worst inhumanity of ICE and the most powerful humanity of our Colorado community." 

Trump is directing resources to terrorize our community by promising to separate parents from their children and target people at home and at work. At the same time, this administration is stripping people of access to services that provide basic information to ensure due process is protected. We are at a crossroads where the executive branch is attempting to erode the power of the Constitution with every new executive order.  

The recent efforts to take away legal service attorneys from immigration detention centers and immigration courts (the only attorneys most people in these circumstances will ever get to see and talk to) while simultaneously mandating increased enforcement, detention, and expanded use of expedited removal is unprecedented. The loss of these fundamental protections is an intentional miscarriage of justice and the utmost cruelty and inhumanity. 

On Friday, January 31, 2025, RMIAN joined seven other nonprofit organizations and sued officials from the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, challenging the stop work order that would strip away a quarter of RMIAN’s funding and jeopardize essential legal services. Though the case filed is still pending, RMIAN received news this week that the stop work order was rescinded and programming can resume.  

Monique Sherman, RMIAN Detention Program Managing Attorney, stated: “We are thrilled the stop work order has been rescinded and RMIAN's access to the ICE Aurora Detention Center continues. It is absolutely critical that detained individuals have access to vital legal information about their rights during complex, life-altering proceedings. The attempts to strip away legal services while increasing enforcement efforts is inhumane. RMIAN is committed to due process and fundamental fairness and will continue to fight this injustice at every turn.”  

Despite rescinding the stop work order, the Trump administration has a long history of trying to attack these legal access programs that dates back to 2018.  We fear this fight is not over—and that DOJ will continue to try other tactics to kill these programs. We all must continue fighting and advocating with our members of Congress to prevent further attacks on due process and legal access programs for immigrants.  

RMIAN is poised to challenge other government actions that harm our community and the people we serve. RMIAN will continue to fight for justice and due process, remaining steadfast in its commitment to provide legal support to people caught in the cross hairs, to keep families together and make sure people have access to fundamental fairness.

RMIAN and partner organizations sue the Department of Justice and Kristi Noem to restore legal access for immigrants facing deportation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Erin Barnaby, media@amicacenter.org

Washington, DC – Today, the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights and other partner organizations, represented by Gibson Dunn, announced the filing of a federal lawsuit against the government for shutting down critical legal orientation programs for immigrants, including people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The lawsuit, filed against the Department of Justice (DOJ), Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and other defendants, challenges the government’s recently imposed stop-work order for legal access programs that have obliterated access to the most basic information for unrepresented noncitizens about their rights and obligations throughout removal proceedings. 

Organizational plaintiffs in the suit include American Gateways, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Estrella del Paso, Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, Immigration Services & Legal Advocacy, National Immigrant Justice Center, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center, and Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network. 

The DOJ’s decision to shut down these national legal access programs poses a significant threat to the rights of immigrant children, adults, and families, especially those detained by the government. These legal orientation programs are crucial, as they provide immigrants—the vast majority of whom are unrepresented, and many of whom are confused and traumatized, do not speak English, and lack any legal education—with essential information about their rights throughout the immigration process and deportation proceedings. Such programs have bipartisan support, and the oldest has been in place for over two decades. 

The shutdown is a direct result of the January 20, 2025, Executive Order, “Protecting the American People from Invasion,” which has paved the way for mass deportations. Without access to legal information and support, noncitizens face severe obstacles in navigating their immigration proceedings. 

The lawsuit aims to restore immediate access to these essential programs, ensuring that people trapped in ICE detention receive the legal orientation and support that is their legal right. 

Complaint for Declaratory Injunctive Relief

Memo in Support of a Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction

Sam Hsieh, Deputy Program Direct of the Immigration Impact Lab, Amica Center, said:

“We are seeing the effects of Trump’s mass deportation plans across the country. While the threat of a mass detention camp in Guantanamo Bay is scary, the reality is that mass detention is already happening. Without these legal access programs, unrepresented immigrants in detention have lost their last lifeline and will be deported without the most basic due process protections—making this lawsuit all the more urgent.”

Adina Appelbaum, Program Director of the Immigration Impact Lab, Amica Center, said:

“Blocking legal service providers from accessing immigration jails means detention centers are now effectively unsanctioned black sites. Without these legal access programs, no legal service provider is able to see what the government is doing inside. It creates a dangerous environment where the government has unchecked power to operate mass detention and deportation without any accountability.”

Amer S. Ahmed, Partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, said:

“Gibson Dunn is proud to represent these organizations and support their work.  We look forward to a quick reinstatement of the critical legal orientation work authorized by Congress, and the vindication of our clients’ rights.”

Laura St. John, Legal Director, Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project said: 

“Since our founding in 1989, the Florence Project has been providing legal education and support services to people in immigration detention. The Florence Project was the blueprint for the LOP, and we have provided basic yet critical legal education to people facing deportation under that program for more than two decades. Since its inception, the LOP has enjoyed bipartisan support because it has long been recognized to be an effective minimum requirement to safeguard due process for people in immigration detention while also helping the court process run more efficiently. Providing legal education and resources is a cornerstone of the Florence Project’s mission, and without the LOP and other legal access programs halted by this order, hundreds of thousands of immigrants across the United States will face the full force of the U.S. legal system with no information or resources at all, leading to disastrous outcomes. Shutting down these contracts while simultaneously mobilizing massive deportation operations throughout the country and expanding immigration enforcement is cruel and an enormous violation of people’s rights under the law.” 

Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center, said:

“Since 2016, the National Immigrant Justice Center has worked collaboratively and with the full support of judges and staff at the Chicago Immigration Court to provide basic legal services to people trying to follow the law and navigate our country’s complex immigration system. Those officials understood that our Immigration Court Helpdesk services helped reduce harm in a system where a shortage of legal services leaves people vulnerable to unjust deportation and family separation. Our staff helped people file forms and applications with the government and provided basic information about the immigration process and individuals’ rights and responsibilities. It is unconscionable that this administration has so brashly cut off this lifeline for people who are looking to follow our laws and build secure futures for themselves and their loved ones.”

Vanessa Gutierrez, Deputy Director, Northwest Immigrant Rights (NWIRP), said:

“NWIRP’s Legal Orientation Program (LOP) is integral to providing education to unrepresented individuals detained and facing removal proceedings at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, WA. Through LOPs across the country, many individuals have a better understanding of their immigration proceedings, receive assistance filling out applications for relief, and are better prepared for their hearings. These services are especially critical because the overwhelming majority of persons detained by ICE are unrepresented and have access to no other legal assistance. NWIRP’s ability to meet with detained individuals through its LOP team is a critical aspect of ensuring that those in detention receive the legal resources, representation, and rights they are entitled to, particularly when they may not otherwise have access to counsel.”

Mekela Goehring, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) said:

“Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network was one of the very first nonprofit providers in the country providing services under the Legal Orientation Program, beginning in 2003. Throughout the last 22 years, this program has provided critical legal information and orientation to thousands of individuals detained in Colorado and facing removal proceedings before the Aurora Immigration Court. Similarly, children, families and individuals before the Denver Immigration Court have benefited from RMIAN’s services through the Family Group Legal Orientation Program and the Immigration Court Help Desk Program. These programs provide a critical lifeline in court systems where currently there is no right to court-appointed counsel, even for children or those in detention. Without access to legal orientation, thousands of individuals in Colorado will be left to navigate complex and life-altering immigration proceedings alone, facing immense challenges without information about their legal rights and responsibilities. The abrupt halt of these programs is a threat to the rule of law and the due process and protection it provides us all.”

Colorado Advocacy Groups Warn Against Harmful Impacts of the HR29|S5

Yesterday, President Trump signed into law HR 29/S 5, a piece of legislation that promotes divisive and harmful policies under the guise of public safety. This law represents a sweeping attack on all immigrant communities, empowering anti-immigrant officials to further scapegoat and target people who are integral members of our families and neighborhoods.

“While we all want to live in safe communities, we know this law will not make our communities safer,” shared Nicole Loy, Policy and Campaigns Manager with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC). “Instead, it creates a chilling precedent by mandating the detention of immigrants who are merely accused of certain offenses, undermining the fundamental principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty, and further criminalizing black and brown communities, who are already unfairly targeted by law enforcement.’ This law will further erode trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, leading to fewer crimes reported, and making everyone less safe.”

More here.

ACLU of Colorado & RMIAN send letter to school districts about legal rights of immigrant students

On January 31, 2025, the ACLU of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) sent a letter to school districts in Colorado to provide information about the legal rights of immigrant students in Colorado and the legal responsibilities of school districts towards their students. More here.

Westword: Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocates Ordered to Stop Work by Trump Policy

“Taking away access to these essential and life-saving immigration legal service programs while simultaneously ordering increases in immigration enforcement and detention that will trample community members’ rights is a shocking and gross violation of the fundamental principles of due process, equal access to justice, and to our values for caring for our community members and loved ones,” Mekela Goehring, the RMIAN executive director, says in a statement. Full article here.

Denver Post: Colorado ICE raids could begin in Aurora this week, national report says

Whatever happens this week, the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, a nonprofit that serves immigrants, affirmed its commitment to offering legal support to “people caught in the cross hairs,” said director of advocacy and litigation Laura Lunn.

“Trump is directing resources to terrorize our community by promising to separate parents from their children and target people at home and at work,” Lunn said in an emailed statement.

But “the law matters,” she added. “Legal rights and due process matter.” Full article here.

9News: Nonprofit receives order from Trump administration to stop programs for immigrants

"It’s essentially creating a black hole for people who are going into these very complex and complicated legal proceedings where the consequences may be the most serious case in their lives, and they are now being stripped of information and due process," Executive Director Mekela Goehring said. Full story and video here.

Colorado Sun: Colorado nonprofit offering immigrant legal aid ordered to stop work by feds

“The U.S. Department of Justice issued a ‘stop work order’ to multiple immigrant advocacy organizations around the country, including the one that funds Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network. The Colorado nonprofit provides free attorney representation and other legal help to thousands of immigrants who are locked in the detention center in Aurora or fighting deportation at the Denver immigration court.” More here.

Stop Work Order Ends Access to Critical Legal Access Programs

For Immediate Release

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Contacts:
Mekela Goehring, mgoehring@rmian.org, RMIAN Executive Director
Laura Lunn, llunn@rmian.org, RMIAN Director of Advocacy & Litigation

Westminster, Colorado, January 27, 2025--On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, RMIAN received a stop work order for its work under the Legal Orientation Program, Family Group Legal Orientation Program, and Immigration Court Help Desk Program. Collectively, these programs provide critical legal services to thousands of immigrants in Colorado (and throughout the US) every year. This stop work order stems from the harmful “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” Executive Order.

“Taking away access to these essential and life-saving immigration legal service programs while simultaneously ordering increases in immigration enforcement and detention that will trample community members’ rights is a shocking and gross violation of the fundamental principles of due process, equal access to justice, and to our values for caring for our community members and loved ones,” says Mekela Goehring, Executive Director, RMIAN.

RMIAN was one of the very first nonprofit providers in the country providing services under the Legal Orientation Program, beginning in 2003. Throughout the program’s history, it has received bipartisan support for its work in both increasing access to justice and for helping with immigration courts’ efficiency. Similarly, RMIAN’s work under the FGLOP and ICH programs has provided critical support to individuals before the Denver Immigration Court.

We share the following stories of community members who have been helped through these programs over the years:

• After attending a RMIAN information session at the Denver Immigration Court, a participant disclosed that she was in an active human trafficking situation and that her trafficker was in the court waiting for her hearing to be over. RMIAN staff acted quickly to secure a safe place for her to stay overnight, and worked with her to ensure that she understood her options. RMIAN then assisted her in requesting voluntary departure through friend of the court services so that she could be reunited with her husband and children in her home country.

• Jose (not his real name) has lived in the US with his family since he was 10 years old. His parents, wife and two children are all US citizens. After being arrested by immigration authorities and taken into detention, he attended RMIAN’s legal orientation presentation at the Aurora immigration detention facility. After hearing the attorney describe the ways to become a US citizen, José opted to complete an individual intake with a RMIAN attorney. Through the general LOP and the individual intake, José learned he already was a US citizen because he automatically derived citizenship when his mother naturalized. The next day, José attended his first immigration hearing and told the immigration judge that he believed he was a citizen. He and his mother presented proof of his claim and the immigration judge terminated the removal proceedings. José was released from detention and reunited with his family. Without the LOP and RMIAN’s legal assistance, José would not have known his legal options and may have accepted deportation from the United States and been separated from his entire family forever.

• During an individual information session at the Denver Immigration Court provided by RMIAN, a mother requested assistance in understanding the status of her case because English was not her best language. In reviewing her documents with her, RMIAN was able to explain to her that her Temporary Protected Status (TPS) application, as well as those of her children, was approved. RMIAN then helped the participant show the approval notices to the immigration judge and request dismissal of their removal proceedings.

• Eva (not her real name) was not born in the United States and married a very abusive man who was a US citizen. When she threatened to divorce him, he called the police and reported that she was trespassing on his property. Eva was arrested and brought to the Aurora immigration detention center. After hearing RMIAN’s presentation, Eva stayed to talk with a RMIAN attorney. Upon hearing of the marriage and abuse, RMIAN referred Eva’s case to a pro bono attorney. The attorney represented Eva at a bond hearing and she was released, allowing her to seek protection under the Violence Against Women Act.  

By ordering an immediate pause of these critical legal services, the administration is effectively silencing immigrants’ ability to defend their rights while subjecting them to intensified enforcement and detention measures. This executive action, paired with the stop-work orders, not only undermines the cornerstone of our democracy, the principle of equal justice for all, but also sets a dangerous precedent that threatens constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection under the law.

Without access to legal representation, countless people are left to navigate life-altering immigration proceedings alone, facing immense challenges without guidance or defense. This is a serious threat to our communities, as it fosters fear, destabilizes families, and strips individuals of the ability to advocate for themselves within the legal system.

Dr. Janet Lopez, RMIAN Board Member and Senior Director of Policy, Partnerships & Learning at The Denver Foundation says “Providing representation to immigrants in removal proceedings is about bringing fairness to complex proceedings and upholding our Constitution. At The Denver Foundation, we support organizations like RMIAN because we believe in their work to protect the rights and dignity of immigrants who are integral to our communities.”

"It's important to see this threat to due process and equal justice for what it is, not just a threat to bedrock constitutional values, but also part of a broad attempt by the administration to reshape and refine America by means of multiple dictates from the White House. They include attacks on birthright citizenship, mobilization of the military, mass deportations, and most fundamentally the message that many Americans don't belong here anymore." Hiroshi Motomura, RMIAN Co-Founder and Board Member, and Susan Westerberg Distinguished Professor of Law and Faculty Co-Director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA School of Law

Jorgee Lowree, RMIAN Board Member and Managing Director of Programs and Strategy, American Immigration Council says “It’s no secret that many aspects of our immigration system need to be reformed. But the Trump administration’s war on immigrants is solely focused on dismantling the system and deporting as many people as possible over the next four years, including by making it far more difficult for people to understand the process and defend themselves in court. Immigrants detained in Colorado have for many years been able to depend on the support of legal service providers and volunteer attorneys, but Trump is working to eliminate that support system to achieve his mass deportation agenda. Making it more difficult for people to have a fair day in court will do nothing to fix the current system while wreaking havoc on the lives of immigrants, their families, and our communities and economy.”

Please reach out to your elected representatives and demand the restart of these critical legal access programs that provide essential and life-changing legal support to thousands of community members every year. For more information or to support RMIAN’s work to ensure due process and equal justice, please visit www.rmian.org. 

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, and Instagram at @rmian_org.

Denver7: Colorado attorneys train to represent immigrants at Aurora ICE detention facility pro bono

By: Claire Lavezzorio

AURORA, Colo. — Colorado attorneys specializing in everything from criminal to corporate law are stepping up to support the immigrant community pro bono.

With cities bracing for the possibility of mass deportations under the Trump administration, nearly 100 lawyers took a training course in immigration law to represent those in custody at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora, one of the largest in the country.

Violeta Chapin, associate dean at the University of Colorado Law School and a participant in the training program, highlighted a significant gap in legal support for immigrants during an interview with Denver7 Tuesday.

"We do not have a public defender for immigrants. So, the lack of consistent representation for immigrants leads to a lot of delays," said Chapin.

'Know Your Rights' trainings help immigrants prepare for deportation threats

The training was put on by Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN), which said Colorado already has the lowest rate of representation in the country for people who are facing deportation.

Mekela Goehring, executive director of RMIAN, said the training focused on how to argue for bond for detainees.

"What we know is that if people have representation, they're 10 times more likely to win their cases," said Goehring. "If they can get a bond and get out of immigration detention while they're fighting their cases, then they have access to information, to the resources."

With nearly 100 lawyers ready to represent immigrants when needed, these advocates are realistic about their expectations but hopeful to make any kind of difference.

"I think any additional representation in immigration court is beneficial to the immigrants and to the process itself," said Chapin.

Colorado Sun: Colorado lawyers line up to fight Trump’s deportation plans

About 100 lawyers just took a crash course in persuading immigration judges to grant bond and release people who are locked up at the ICE detention center in Aurora. The training put on by Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network took place Friday, three days before President Donald Trump returned to office on promises to deport tens of thousands of immigrants in what he has called “Operation Aurora.” More here.

Over 100 Attorneys Attend Legal Training

Today RMIAN, CBA-CLE, Colorado Lawyers Committee, and the Boulder County Bar Association are partnering to train volunteer attorneys to represent clients in the release from immigration detention bond and parole. We are grateful to the over 100 attorneys in Colorado who registered for this training and who are committed to protecting due process, the rule of law, and equal access to justice.

RMIAN Founding Board Member, Hiroshi Motomura, Publishes New Book: Borders and Belonging

Read the Introduction of RMIAN Founding Board Member and UCLA Law Professor Hiroshi Motomura’s new book, Borders and Belonging, here.

“Borders and Belonging starts with an inquiry into why citizenship and immigration restrictions might be justified or troubling. The book next suggests ways to think about objections to national borders as they exist today. People sometimes make claims based on their humanity; in other words, they object to national borders that inflict harm that no human being should have to endure. At other times, people make claims of a different sort -- based on belonging, that is, that they are part of communities in a given country and that national borders erase or disregard that belonging.”

Hiroshi meeting with RMIAN staff on 1/16/25 to discuss his new book, Borders and Belonging.

Colorado Sun: Immigration attorneys in Colorado are overwhelmed trying to support terrified immigrants, and we need help

Denver Gazette: Immigrant Advocates Prepare for Trump’s ‘Operation Aurora’

In The Denver Gazette, RMIAN’s Director of Advocacy and Litigation, Laura Lunn, speaks out about preparing for potential changes in immigration enforcement that could impact our neighbors, friends, and families. Lunn shares “More than anything, people are afraid, and (the Trump administration) has been really effective at making people fearful,” she said. “I can’t understate all of these terrible things that could happen, but the day-to-day existence of living with the type of fear people experience when they’re being threatened is really powerful.”

Colorado Schools Commit to Protecting Students Ahead of Potential Mass Deportation

In a recent Colorado Sun article, RMIAN’s Children’s Program Managing Attorney, Ashley Harrington, shares, “There is so much fear. So many children are calling us to say, ‘Am I going to get deported? Are my parents going to get deported? Can you please help us?’ There’s such widespread fear already even from the rhetoric, even though nothing has happened yet. It’s been really overwhelming to hear how terrified children are.” 

Denverite: How Immigrants and Their Advocates are Bracing for ‘Operation Aurora’

In response to revelations about "Operation Aurora," a plan under the Trump administration to deport thousands of immigrants from the Denver area, RMIAN joins other advocates in condemning this extreme, anti-immigrant tactic. The strategy, which sought to coordinate large-scale raids to apprehend and deport immigrants, has sparked widespread concern within Colorado’s immigrant advocacy community.

Denver Post: What Trump’s Second Term Means for Colorado Immigrants, Public Lands, Abortion Access, and Space Command

In a recent Denver Post article, RMIAN’s Executive Director, Mekela Goehring, shares, “Now, the most critical component is ensuring there are lawyers in the system so there is some accountability and a check of due process,” Goehring said. “Separating children from their parents (or) forcing people to be in a prison-like setting while navigating immigration proceedings is incredibly harmful to community members.” 

Free CLE: Representing Individuals in Bond and Release Requests from Immigration Detention

Save the Date! Jan 17th, 10:00am - 12:00pm. Free CLE training: Representing Individuals in Bond and Release Requests from Immigration Detention. Join RMIAN, CBA-CLE, and CLC to defend Colorado's community members and provide essential due process protections! Click HERE for more information. 

Free CIRC Webinar

Join RMIAN's partner, Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition, for a free webinar on December 17, 2024 from 6pm - 7:30pm. Get information on how to protect yourself and your community from immigration enforcement.