.
In partnership with worker centers and community organizations that work directly with people directly impacted by these raids, we are coordinating a network of private attorneys to fill gaps in the existing legal defense infrastructure and provide funds to pay for bond and deportation defense representation. We are organizing private attorneys to take on cases at below market/low bono rates, share legal strategy, and ensure direct connection for the members and communities affiliated with existing organizations. We are also supporting family members of detained workers to cover basic needs, given the loss of income through a breadwinner’s detention or deportation.
While the need continues to grow because of the numbers of workers kidnapped in raids and ICE’s evolving tactics to expedite removal and limit lawyer access to their clients, we are experimenting and evolving best practices to defend and support workers that we are then able to share throughout our growing network of private attorneys. In the last 6 months, OPIN has raised $50,000 toward this fund to be ready for this exact moment. But we know it is not enough when one worker deportation defense case can cost up to $15,000 and a single bond to try to get them released can be $1,500 or more per worker. Defending workers in this way is not just the right thing to do but is essential to fortifying the relationships and infrastructure we need to sustain the fight back, ensure that solidarity with targeted communities is visible and material, and build long term power for worker justice.