Latest news with #MelissaM.Lopez
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
El Paso nonprofit told to stop migrant legal services
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An El Paso nonprofit that helps migrants with legal services was notified by the federal government that it needs to terminate two of its programs, starting Tuesday, April 15. Estrella del Paso said they were notified by the U.S. Department of Justice that it needs to terminate two programs that provide legal access to immigrants facing deportation — the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) and the Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH). 'These programs help individuals who are facing deportation understand their rights and how their cases will proceed before the El Paso immigration court,' Estrella del Paso said in a statement. The Justice Department issued a stop work order for both programs on Jan. 22, the organization said. Estrella del Paso joined partner organizations across the U.S. in filing a federal lawsuit against the government on January 31. That litigation is still pending in the courts despite an announcement from the DOJ on February 2, that rescinded the stop-work order and restored funding to the critical programs, Estrella del Paso said. While the stop-work order issued in January was a temporary halt of these critical programs, the termination order is a permanent measure designed to end these programs, the organization said. The LOP at Estrella del Paso works inside the two immigration detention centers in this area – El Paso Service Processing Center and the Otero County Processing Center in Southern New Mexico – for individuals appearing before the El Paso Detained Immigration Courts, the organization said. The ICH program provides services at the El Paso Non-Detained Court. These programs help immigrants know their rights, provide individual orientations, self-help workshops and referrals to attorneys for free representation. 'Since 2003, the Legal Orientation Program has enjoyed bi-partisan congressional support and funding. Every Department of Justice program evaluation demonstrates cost savings for the federal government. Participants of the LOP are well-informed of their rights, the process, and what to expect. This results in their cases being concluded an average of two weeks more quickly than non-participants. The LOP and ICH programs are a lifeline for individuals facing deportation and critical to ensuring immigrants receive due process. The elimination of these programs will force individuals to appear before the local immigration courts uninformed and unsure how to proceed,' said Melissa M. Lopez, executive director of Estrella del Paso. The decision to terminate these programs comes only weeks after the government cut off legal representation to unaccompanied children, the organization said. Those funding cuts resulted in the furlough of 18 Estrella del Paso employees who have yet to return to work, Estrella del Paso said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
El Paso nonprofit says federal funding cut, furloughs staff
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An El Paso nonprofit that provides legal services to unaccompanied migrant children said its federal funding was cut on Friday, March 21 by the Trump Administration and it is now being forced to furlough its staff. Estrella del Paso said Friday's order terminated 80 pecent of total funding for its programs for unaccompanied children, representing nearly 50 percent of the agency's total budget. Nonprofit says it can resume services for migrant children The Associated Press reported that the Trump Administration on Friday ended a contract that provides legal help to migrant children entering the country without a parent or guardian. Under this new order, Estrella del Paso immediately placed 18 staff members on furlough. Another four have been temporarily reassigned. A team of 30 individuals has now been reduced to six people, the organization said. 'Today's decision flies in the face of our values as Americans. Children are precious, and as Americans, we have honored our responsibility to protect them for generations. Today's action by the Trump Administration will result in thousands of children being forced to navigate the immigration legal system alone,' said Melissa M. Lopez, executive director at Estrella del Paso. 'This order will not stop our work. We will continue to advocate on behalf of children and the entire immigrant community in El Paso and beyond. We will also not abandon the employees who were placed on furlough today. We will continue to fight for full restoration of the program so our team will soon be back to work advocating for immigrant children,' Lopez added. Last month, the Trump Administration had briefly ordered the nonprofit to stop its work providing representation and legal access services to unaccompanied migrant children, but then reversed itself several days earlier. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
