NCJ Number
206780
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 66 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2004 Pages: 86,88,89
Date Published
July 2004
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the mission and services of the CAIR (Capital Area Immigrants' Rights) Coalition, a nonprofit organization that works closely with immigration officials and jails throughout Virginia to improve the human and civil rights of detained immigrants and refugees.
Abstract
The CAIR Coalition has enlisted attorneys and paralegals to assist detainees in their cases. According to the CAIR Coalition's 2003 annual report, over 300 pro bono lawyers have donated more than 18,000 hours of work valued at more than $3.5 million. During 2003, the coalition responded to more than 1,200 phone calls from immigrants and their families, assisted 52 asylum applicants, and held monthly liaison meetings with immigration offices. Members of the coalition have helped numerous detained immigrants stay in the United States and gain release from incarceration. In addition to providing direct legal services to immigrants and refugees, the coalition advocates for immigration policies that are fair and humane. The Executive Director of the CAIR Coalition, Debi Sanders, has stated, "Those immigrants who have no criminal history should not be imprisoned. Every asylum seeker, whether in jail or not, should be represented. I believe that detaining asylum seekers is a violation of international law." In addition, Sanders argues that any immigrant who has finished serving a sentence for a criminal offense should be reunited with his/her family instead of being detained pending deportation proceedings. Regardless of whether jail officials agree with all of the CAIR Coalition's positions on immigration law and policies, many recognize and appreciate the services that the coalition provides immigrant inmates. When the coalition is providing services to immigrant inmates in a custodial facility, correctional officers can assure anxious and frustrated detainees that there is an organization that cares about their case. In addition, jail officials will likely improve community relations while gaining another resource to assist in managing and serving detained immigrants.