RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) – An immigration case backlog has led to a collaboration to increase the number of immigration lawyers.
The Immigration Community Lawyering Initiative is a collaboration between Vermont Legal Aid and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, also known as V.A.A.P.
“Trump 2.0 really rolling in and being much more aggressive, much more forceful, it’s gotten the conversation really moving again,” said staff attorney Emma Matters-Wood. “We just need better immigration legal structure in the state of Vermont.”
Some immigration cases with national connections, such as Mosen Mahdawi and Rumesya Ozturk, have had legal representation in Vermont. But not every case gets as much attention. Unlike in criminal court hearings where lawyers are guaranteed, immigration cases do not have that guarantee.
“All of us could be working 24/7, doing everything we possibly could, and we would never come close to meeting the need,” said Devanne O’Brien, an attorney of Vermont Legal Aid. She’s hoping to help get through the backlog on immigration cases.
“For the people that we are representing, it’s going to hopefully have a dramatic impact on the outcome of their case,” she said.
While some new legal professionals will make a dent, Matters-Wood says the state would need to add many more to get services to those who need it.
“(There are) hundreds of individuals within the state of Vermont who don’t have any access to legal counsel, so we need a lot more lawyers,”
This session, local lawmakers are considering legislation that would require access to legal services in immigration cases.
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date: 2026-02-08 17:29:00
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