Happenings
RMIAN has an immediate opening for a full-time Staff Attorney in our Detention Program to represent and provide legal information for clients detained at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility. The Staff Attorney will provide direct representation to clients chosen without regard to the merits of their cases through the Colorado Immigrant Legal Defense Fund (CO ILDF) and to representation to clients who are appointed counsel by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) through the National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP).
This position is meant for an attorney dedicated to equal justice for all – someone who has experience in immigration law, particularly removal defense (and preferably in a detained setting).
RMIAN, the National Immigration Project, and American Immigration Council filed a civil rights complaint on behalf of a group of transgender and nonbinary individuals who are currently detained at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility and have experienced discrimination, harassment, and mistreatment while under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The complaint details experiences of medical neglect and inadequate access to necessary medical and mental healthcare, dehumanizing treatment, and much more.
RMIAN is part of a coalition with Colorado Legal Services, Colorado Center on Law and Policy, the Community Economic Defense Project, and others to support legislation to provide greater access to justice through more funding for legal service organizations in Colorado. Please see this article in Law Week Colorado for more.
Through the Social Service Project, RMIAN is one of few immigration legal services organizations in the country to offer integrated social service support. We are seeking a Director of Social Work to lead the next chapter of the Social Service Project’s vital services during a period of transition, and to manage and support a strong team of three masters-level social workers.
Huge thanks to RMIAN funder and community partner, Caring for Denver Foundation, for putting together this powerful video that discusses the important work of RMIAN’s Social Service Project (SSP) and the powerful collaboration of legal and social services at RMIAN.
RMIAN Pro Bono Attorney, Nat Robinson, writes about his experience providing volunteer legal services to his client, Abraham, in Newsweek.
This Development Coordinator position is meant for someone who has experience in nonprofit development, who loves both building systems and engaging in the on-the-ground work in order to get the job done efficiently and with a high level of attention to detail.
Please join us for a live CLE webinar on an Diversity, Equity & Inclusion topic A Focus on RMIAN, presented by Mekela Goehring, RMIAN's Executive Director. Special thanks to our event sponsor, Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP.
RMIAN has an opening for a Detention Program Staff Attorney who is a seasoned attorney able to manage a robust caseload independently and demonstrates a keen understanding of immigration law and legal strategy. The Staff Attorney will primarily provide direct representation to noncitizens detained at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility who are selected without regard to the merits of their cases under RMIAN’s universal representation model.
RMIAN Stands with Immigrant Youth. A Texas Judge’s Ruling Striking Down DACA is Just the Latest Move in a Political Game That Callously Disregards the Very Real Consequences on the Lives of People Impacted.
The Denver Foundation recently released an Annual Report of the Denver Immigrant Legal Services fund detailing all of its work and impact in the past year. Read about the ways in which RMIAN and its services impact clients through this valuable funding and partnership with the City of Denver.
RMIAN will be collaborating with the Colorado Bar Association to host its annual immigration law training aimed at training volunteer attorneys who can assist with pro bono cases in the coming year. Please click here to learn more about the training and program, which will be held on Friday, September 29th, in Denver. CLE Credits will be available.
RMIAN, the American Immigration Council, and the National Immigration Project (NIPNLG), filed an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility—demanding immediate investigation into the increased use and misuse of solitary confinement at the Aurora Contract Detention Center. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detains hundreds of people in a private prison owned and operated by GEO Group, Inc., located in Aurora, Colorado.
Inside immigration court throughout Colorado, two-thirds of people who stand in front of a judge to defend their civil case are doing so alone — no lawyer by their side to help them navigate the complicated American legal system.
“That includes three-year-olds that can be forced to be in front of an immigration judge, in an immigration court setting with an adversarial attorney who's representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on the other side,” explained Mekela Goehring, the executive director of Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN).
Read about the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund and the ways it supports RMIAN and clients like Edna Chavez.
RMIAN has been helping Chavez with her immigration case thanks in part to funds from the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund.. “They don’t just focus on legal representation, they care for the person they represent,” said Chavez.
Since the City and County of Denver and The Denver Foundation established the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund, $2.3 million has been granted to nonprofits, $409,795 of that has been raised by community donations.
With the numbers of people in immigration detention on the rise, there is an ever-growing need for pro bono representation of asylum-seekers at the Aurora, Colorado detained immigration court. Join us for an overview of the law governing asylum, withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture, as well as practical tips on remote and in-person representation.
We will cover:
• Detention trends and border practices—why we need your help
• Asylum, Withholding and CAT—an overview of the law
• Remote and in-person representation
Panelists:
• Ilana Etkin Greenstein, Senior Attorney, Immigration Justice Campaign
• Jenny Regier, Detention Program Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network
RMIAN is offering two full-time, paid summer internships for current law students during Summer 2023. See more info within.