Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Of The San Francisco Bay Area

LCCRSF WORKS TO ADVANCE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE LEGAL RIGHTS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LOW-INCOME PERSONS, IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES THROUGH FREE DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES, IMPACT LITIGATION AND POLICY ADVOCACY AND THE ASSISTANCE OF PRO BONO ATTORNEYS.

IMMIGRANT JUSTICEAS CHALLENGES TO ASYLUM MOUNT, LCCRSFS ASYLUM PROGRAM CONTINUES TO USE A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH TO ASSESS CLIENT NEEDS AND MATCHES ASYLUM SEEKERS WITH REPRESENTATION, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING TRAINING TO VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS.OUR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE TEAM ALSO CONTINUES TO SCORE VICTORIES FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE, BOTH FOR INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS AND THE FOLLOWING IMPACT CASES:WON PRECEDENT-SETTING VERDICT ENDING HORRIFIC DETENTION CONDITIONS IN CUSTOMS & BORDER PROTECTIONS TUCSON SECTOR. IN DOE V. WOLF, THE DISTRICT COURT RULED THAT THE CONDITIONS AT THE DETENTION FACILITY VIOLATED THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND THAT MIGRANTS MAY NOT BE DETAINED FOR MORE THAN 48 HOURS UNLESS BORDER PATROL PROVIDES FOR THEIR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS OUTLINED IN DETAIL. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS WERE LAID OUT FOR MIGRANTS HELD LONGER THAN 48 HOURS.SEEKING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FAMILY SEPARATION. ASYLUM SEEKERS FACE PERSECUTION AT LEAST TWICE ON THEIR WAY TO THE UNITED STATES: ONCE IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES, AND AGAIN WHEN THEY ARE DETAINED BY U.S. IMMIGRATION AGENCIES AND HELD IN DANGEROUS, DEHUMANIZING CONDITIONS. IN 2018, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SEPARATED PARENTS FROM THEIR CHILDREN, CAUSING LASTING AND DEEP TRAUMA. WE ORGANIZED REPRESENTATION FOR 60% OF THE FAMILIES WHO FILED CLAIMS, AND WE FILED THE FIRST SUITS IN THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA AGAINST THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, ON BEHALF OF THREE BAY AREA FAMILIES DEMANDING REPARATIONS FOR FAMILY SEPARATION AT THE BORDER. WON AND MAINTAINED THE RELEASE OF HUNDREDS OF IMMIGRANT DETAINEES AT CALIFORNIA ICE FACILITIES TO PROTECT THEM FROM DANGEROUS COVID CONDITIONS. IN ZEPEDA-RIVAS V. JENNINGS, THE COURT ALSO ISSUED A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER BARRING NEW DETAINEES, AND REQUIRING UNIVERSAL TESTING AT THE MESA VERDE DETENTION FACILITY WHERE A COVID OUTBREAK OCCURRED. THIS IS THE FIRST-CLASS ACTION FILED ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE DETAINED AT MESA VERDE AND THE YUBA COUNTY JAIL. AT YUBA, THE DETENTION CENTER DROPPED DOWN TO ZERO DETAINEES, NO MORE PEOPLE HELD AGAINST THEIR WILL IN DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.

RACIAL JUSTICETHIS FISCAL YEAR, LCCRSF LAUNCHED THE PEOPLES CLINIC TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO CALIFORNIANS HARMED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, LCCRSF AND PRO BONO VOLUNTEERS HAVE HELPED DOZENS OF CLIENTS FILE CLAIMS SEEKING COMPENSATION FOR POLICE VIOLENCE, AND SEVERAL HAVE ALREADY WON COMPENSATION. WE ALSO SUED THE CITY OF SAN JOSE TO CHALLENGE ITS VIOLENT PROTEST POLICING POLICIES, AND INVESTIGATED POLICE VIOLENCE IN SACRAMENTO. LCCRSF CONTINUED TO HOST ITS BAIL CLINIC TO FIGHT PREDATORY BAIL DEBT, PART OF ITS ONGOING PRIORITY OF ALLEVIATING THE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCE OF POVERTY IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM. WE ALSO FILED THE FIRST-EVER CLASS ACTION AGAINST A BAIL BONDS COMPANY FOR VIOLATING CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS, AND WON A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION THAT ORDERED BAD BOYS TO STOP COLLECTING $38 MILLION IN UNLAWFUL BAIL DEBTS.WE CHAMPIONEDAND GOT PASSEDA CALIFORNIA BILL THAT REPEALED 23 OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FEES THAT WERE MOST HARMFUL TO FAMILIES, PREVENTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEBTS THAT FAMILIES COULD NOT AFFORD, AND WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE TO END ALL OF THE REGRESSIVE AND PUNITIVE SYSTEM FEES THAT ARE FINANCIALLY HOLDING BACK CALIFORNIAS BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES.AFTER THE RIVER DELTA SCHOOL DISTRICT THREATENED TO CLOSE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT PRIMARILY SERVED IMMIGRANT AND LATINX STUDENTS, WE ADVOCATED TO KEEP THE SCHOOL OPEN, AND SUCCEEDED, PLUS GOT THE DISTRICT TO DO A DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL ITS STUDENTS.

ECONOMIC JUSTICELCCRSF CONTINUES TO PROVIDE REPRESENTATION FOR-LOW-INCOME ENTREPRENEURS FACING CHALLENGES IN SAN FRANCISCO DUE TO GENTRIFICATION AND INCREASING RENTS. OUR SERVICES ARE ALL THE MORE URGENT AMID COVID-19, AND THE NUMBER OF SMALL BUSINESS CLIENTS SEEKING HELP WITH COMMERCIAL LEASES INCREASED TENFOLD. IN ADDITION, WE:FULLY LAUNCHED THE MINORITY CONTRACTOR COLLABORATIVE. BUILDING ON LCCRSFS WORK OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS WITH MINORITY AND DISADVANTAGED CONTRACTORS, THIS NEW, LCCRSF-HOSTED PLATFORM WILL PROVIDE MINORITY- AND WOMEN-OWNED CONTRACTORS WITH ESSENTIAL COST-ESTIMATING TIPS; BACK-OFFICE SUPPORT; LEGAL ASSISTANCE; AND ACCOUNTING, MARKETING, AND OTHER SERVICES TO HELP SMALL CONTRACTORS LAUNCH AND GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.ADVOCATED FOR ACCESS TO BANKING AND PUBLIC BANKING. GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM SIGNED THE PUBLIC BANKING ACT IN FALL 2019, WHICH WILL ALLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO CHARTER THE FIRST DEMOCRATICALLY ACCOUNTABLE BANKS. LCCRSF IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC BANKING ALLIANCE WHICH LED THIS EFFORT. THE ALLIANCE IS BUILDING ON THIS VICTORY TO ADVOCATE FOR A STATEWIDE PUBLIC BANK. IN THE MEANTIME, WE ADVOCATED FOR AB 1177, ESTABLISHING BANKING ACCESS FOR THE ONE-FOURTH OF CALIFORNIANS WHO DO NOT HAVE BANK ACCOUNTS.