ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — A Maryland county is considering whether it will fund lawyers for immigrants facing deportation.
The Montgomery County Council will vote Tuesday on whether it will spend $374,000 on the effort. The Washington Post reports deportation proceedings are civil matters, not criminal. As such, people facing deportation aren't entitled to publicly funded legal representation.
The funding would apply to those facing deportation with a household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level who haven't been convicted of crimes including rape or murder. The money would go toward Washington-based nonprofit Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition.
If approved, the county will join the city of Baltimore and Prince George's County as jurisdictions that fund legal representation for immigrants facing deportation.
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Information from: The Washington Post
