ALBANY — In previous years, the Cuomo Administration has touted funding for an initiative that provides free legal services to immigrants across New York state. However, funding for the program is nowhere to be found on the governor's recently released 2021 draft budget.
Since 2017, the state has allocated $10 million to the Liberty Defense Project, which splits up the money among nonprofits across the state that help provide immigrants with legal services including deportation defense and direct representation in court, among other services. Now the legal providers are asking for the state to fund the project at $15.3 million saying they need more resources to accommodate a growing caseload.
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