Michigan Immigration Helpdesk paused by Trump's executive order
(CBS DETROIT) — The future of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center's Immigration Helpdesk is currently in limbo following President Trump's executive order, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion."
"Cutting this program actually seems self-defeating," said Ruby Robinson, a managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.
Last week, the organization learned of Mr. Trump's executive order pausing the grant money that keeps the help desk running late.
"This has the immediate effect of limiting access to certain information," said Robinson.
Robinson said the Immigration Helpdesk, which is staffed by four full-time employees, doesn't provide people with legal representation or legal advice but instead provides information that helps pending court cases move more quickly.
"There are 3.5 million people in removal proceedings across the country right now, and there are over 31,000 in the Detroit immigration court," said Robinson.
With just five immigration judges in Detroit, that creates a significant slowdown.
"Even if everybody gets a two- to three-hour trial, it's going to take a long time to go through that backlog," said Robinson.
Republican State Rep. Steve Carra said the funding that supported the Helpdesk could be spent.
"When we have federal dollars going to 200 NGOs (non-governmental organizations), $1.6 billion in 2024 to help to basically just end up funneling more money to the cartels. The people who end up losing in this whole system are the American people," he said.
Carra supports the immigration efforts announced by the Trump Administration and says funding should be used to encourage legal immigration.
"Organizations that are helping with legal immigration is something that makes a lot more sense if people are paying for assistance or coming over the correct way," said Carra.
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center says the four lawyers who used to staff the Helpdesk have been reassigned within the organization.