More than 6,500 immigrants in Oregon have received free legal counsel in the two years since the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1543 and established Equity Corps of Oregon , a statewide universal legal representation program.
Lawmakers first directed $15 million from the state general fund to implement the program. The money is used to assist with work authorization applications, help asylum seekers, and provide workshops in local communities. The program’s budget was cut in half in the 2023-24 biennium .
“The number of immigration attorneys that are needed to serve the number of people we have in Oregon is part of the huge issue this bill is meant to address,” said Willamette University College of Law professor Sarah Purce. “And so it’s not creating immigration attorneys but helping foster their interest in being immigration attorneys longer term.”
Nearly 421,000 people living in Oregon are estimated to be immigrants, with 108,000 of them considered undocumented, according to the Migration Policy Institute . According to Equity Corps’ July report , one of every 15 children in the state lives with someone with a vulnerable immigration status.