Department: Purchasing
Department Head/Elected Official: DeWight Dopslauf
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of the Purchasing Agent for approval of a sole source exemption from the competitive bid requirements and that the County Judge execute an agreement with Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative in the amount of $100,000 for coordination services for immigration programs for the Housing and Community Development Department for the period of January 30, 2024 - January 29, 2025 with four (4) one-year renewal options, Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source.
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Background and Discussion:
More than two million people living in the United States are currently facing removal from the country in immigration court, and millions more are at risk of being placed in removal proceedings at any time. Despite the complexity of immigration law and the devastating consequences of deportation, and unlike in the criminal legal system, people facing removal do not have a legal right to representation at government expense if they are unable to afford it. As a result, nearly 1.3 million people are currently facing deportation without legal representation in the immigration court system. Many more face removal without ever setting foot in an immigration court, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported nearly 240,000 total removals in FY 2020, most likely done without legal representation for the people being removed.
In Greater Houston, there are almost 100,000 cases pending in Houston's four non-detained immigration courts, ...
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