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Lawmakers and advocates press Oregon House Judiciary for $10 million to shore up universal representation fund
Summary
Lawmakers, legal-aid groups and residents urged the House Judiciary Committee to fund HB 4117 with a $10 million appropriation to sustain Oregon's Universal Representation Fund and a Children's Economic Stability Fund, saying current resources will be exhausted amid a surge in federal immigration enforcement.
Lawmakers and immigrant-rights advocates told the Oregon House Judiciary Committee that the state should approve a $10 million appropriation to sustain the Universal Representation Fund and a Children's Economic Stability Fund, arguing the programs are necessary to keep families housed and protect due process.
Representative Andrea Valderrama, who introduced the request, said the legislature previously reinvested $15,000,000 in the universal representation program and that it has served more than 20,000 people since 2022. "This funding responds to a real crisis playing out in our communities today," Valderrama said, describing family separation, lost income and long-term trauma after detentions.
Advocates described rising enforcement and sharp…
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