The Justice Department is temporarily halting a program that offered free legal advice to detained immigrants, NPR reported.
The department told the Vera Institute of Justice, the organization behind the Legal Orientation Program and the Immigration Court Helpdesk, that funding for the program will be suspended as the officials review its effectiveness.
A phone hotline for the program will also end at the end of the month.
The contract for the program expires on April 30. It was created in 2003 during the George W. Bush administration.
The Vera Institute of Justice decried the decision in a statement this week, saying that the program is a “lifeline for many immigrants” and “saves lives.” – READ MORE
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