Tagged: deportation

When criminal defendants can’t afford to pay for a lawyer, the court will appoint them one for free. But not all defendants have that right. If you’re called to immigration court, for example, you have to hire a private attorney. If you can’t afford one, you’re on your own. Many agencies provide free legal services to immigrants in these situations, but these agencies are overwhelmed. And even immigrants who can afford an attorney have to be careful who they hire. Some unlicensed practitioners prey on unsuspecting immigrants to make easy money.

The issue of prison rape is often belittled by standup comedians, but it’s really no laughing matter – especially if you’re a transgender woman locked up in an all-male facility.

Grace Lawrence, 43, is a transgender woman from Liberia who was in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, for nearly three years. For all but six months, she was kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.

Often, transgender inmates are placed in protective custody – also known as solitary confinement – for their own protection.