Steve Burns
WMAL.com

ROCKVILLE, Md. – (WMAL) The Montgomery County Council will receive a bill Tuesday looking to fund legal assistance to immigrants facing deportation.

County Council President Hans Riemer told reporters Monday the new effort will be open to low-income residents of the county who have not been convicted of a serious crime.

“We value all of our residents in Montgomery County,” Riemer said. “We want everyone to have opportunities, and we want to support our families, and all we care about is if they’re residents, and we are there for them.”

The $374,000 grant would go to the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition to provide legal representation to those immigrants.

“When people have representation in these proceedings, they are able to take advantage of their rights, and they’re able to more successfully defend themselves and keep their families together often,” Riemer said.

The right to an attorney or public defender does not extend to immigration court proceedings, he said.

“We have seen an increase of enforcement, and we’ve also learned that when people who are detained have access to representation, that they get much better outcomes.”

Copyright 2018 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: Montgomery County Government)