Borealis is excited to announce the creation of a revamped Immigration Litigation Fund (ILF), which will provide litigation support grants to projects that focus on ensuring the rights of immigrants are protected in the nation’s immigration enforcement system. ILF is particularly interested in litigation efforts that address discriminatory, unlawful and overly punitive practices at any stage of the enforcement trajectory, from identification and apprehension to detention, removal or exclusion of immigrants. ILF is interested in litigation that shows potential for systematic change including: policy change or legal precedent, directly benefits on-going advocacy and organizing, or contributes to shifting public narratives and discourse on immigration enforcement.
In its initial iteration, as the Immigration Legal Strategies Support Fund, the Fund supported the litigation, communication, and field building campaign around U.S. v Texas, which focused on President Obama’s executive order on immigration, and which ended in a tie vote by the U.S. Supreme Court.
ILF’s grantmaking will prioritize litigation efforts that are connected to, and coordinated with, immigrant communities and organizations.
The ILF will provide funding in three areas: litigation support, travel, and convenings. Generally, grants to cover these costs should be related to an unanticipated need. Both public interest legal groups and community-based organizations are encouraged to apply if they are engaged in current or proposed litigation efforts.
For more information about the ILF Fund, please visit the Fund’s page.