Opening Arguments At This Point, Traffic Court Would Be An Upgrade
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Mar 2, 2026 Shaina Aber, founder and executive director of a national nonprofit coordinating legal services for immigrants. She talks about building a large legal network, rapid response alliances for mass enforcement, court observation programs to preserve public access, trauma-informed practice for practitioners, and practical hubs of tools and templates for lawyers.
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Federally Funded Immigration Programs Shrank Dramatically
- Federally funded legal aid programs coordinating immigration representation have fallen from eight to three under the current administration.
- Shaina Aber explains the surviving programs persist only because they are backed by statute or consent decrees, not political will.
Bond Denials Pushed Liberty Claims Into Federal Courts
- Bond hearings have effectively been curtailed, forcing habeas petitions in federal court to secure release.
- Shaina Aber says immigration judges were instructed not to issue bonds, shifting liberty disputes into already strained federal courts.
Join Court Observation To Protect Access And Record Events
- Participate in court observation or accompaniment to preserve records and support detained people.
- Shaina Aber recommends calling dockets ahead, using Witness for Justice training, and filling observation forms to document access issues.