DOJ Terminates Critical Legal Access Programs for Immigrants Facing Deportation | Termination order includes two Estrella del Paso programs
April 14, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2025 Contact: Sandra Ramirez, Sramirez@estrella.org | 915-539-2855
DOJ Terminates Critical Legal Access Programs for Immigrants Facing Deportation
Termination order includes two Estrella del Paso programs
El Paso, TX - The U.S. Department of Justice notified Estrella del Paso of the termination of its Legal Orientation Program (LOP) and Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) effective Tuesday, April 15, 2025. These programs help individuals who are facing deportation understand their rights and how their cases will proceed before the El Paso immigration court. The LOP has received bipartisan congressional support since its inception in 2003. The success of the LOP led to the creation of the ICH program.
The Justice Department issued a stop work order for both programs on January 22, 2025. Estrella del Paso joined partner organizations across the U.S. in filing a federal lawsuit against the government on January 31, 2025. That litigation is still pending in the courts despite an announcement from the DOJ on February 2, 2025, that rescinded the stop-work order and restored funding to the critical programs. 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 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 ICH program provides services at the El Paso Non-Detained Court. The LOP and ICH programs provided by Estrella del Paso representatives provide know your rights presentations, individual orientations, self-help workshops, and referrals to attorneys for pro bono (free) representation.
The DOJ’s decision to terminate these critical legal access programs denies people in ICE detention as well as those going through the deportation process information their legal rights, the deportation process, and an understanding of the immigration court system in the United States.
“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 unformed 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. Those funding cuts resulted in the furlough of 18 Estrella del Paso employees who have yet to return to work.
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