Read more: Opinion: No, immigration and the border are not impossible problemsA kindly man with a Sinaloan accent makes small talk with me while we wait. A client.”“Lawyer?”“Yes, in a public defender’s office.”“You do immigration law?”“Not really. With no criminal conviction to trigger deportation grounds, Jose made it home to watch his grandkids tear into presents. In 2021, the California Board of State and Community Corrections created the Public Defense Pilot Program, which provided funds so that public defender's offices could represent clients under several statutes, including Penal Code §1473.7. Michael Albers is a senior deputy public defender in the Ventura County Public Defender’s Office.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 25, 2023 12:01 UTC