TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 36237 with Immigrant Defenders Law Center, of Los Angeles, CA, for Legal Representation Services, to increase the contract amount by $133,000 and extend the term to April 30, 2024, for a total contract amount not to exceed $613,000, with the option to renew for an additional six-month period, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to amend Contract No. 36237 with Immigrant Defenders Law Center to continue the provision of Legal Services under the Long Beach Justice Fund (LBJF). The LBJF provides direct legal representation to community members facing removal and is venued at the Los Angeles Immigration Courts, Van Nuys Immigration Court, the Adelanto Detention Facility, or the Santa Ana Immigration Court.
On February 15, 2022, the City Council awarded a contract to Immigrant Defenders Law Center as part of its adoption of RFP CM21-078 for Legal Representation Services under the Long Beach Justice Fund for a period of one year, with the option to renew for an additional one-year period. The first amendment to Contract No. 36237 was approved on May 3, 2023, extending the contract through the end of Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 23) and increased the contract amount by $265,000 to continue services through FY 23.
The City is committed to protecting the rights of its immigrant and refugee residents who form a vital part of the community. To that end, the LBJF supports legal representation for immigrants who live and work in Long Beach and are facing deportation. Representation under this Program will strictly adhere to the universal representation model, which means that representation is offered to as many clients as the funding allows, without conducting a preliminary assessment of the merits of the case. Since 2019, LBJF has helped more than 50 Long Beach residents, giving community members more ...
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