Vegas law school receives $2M in tax dollars for free ‘deportation defense’ for illegal aliens
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Law has received more than $2 million in state and county funds to provide free 'deportation defense' to illegal aliens, a Campus Reform audit found.
Law students assist licensed lawyers with deportation defense, DACA renewals, and cases involving unaccompanied minors who entered the country illegally.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has received more than $2 million in taxpayer funds to provide free “deportation defense” to illegal aliens, a Campus Reform audit found.
UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law houses the Immigration Clinic, which offers “FREE consultations and legal services to UNLV students, staff, and their families,” according to a university webpage.
Services include deportation defense, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals, and legal support for unaccompanied minors who crossed the border illegally.
According to the university, the clinic has defended more than 1,200 illegal aliens, most from Mexico or Central America.
Campus Reform found more than $2 million in state and county funds appropriated to the university program to defend illegal aliens.
In 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed Assembly Bill 376, which provided $500,000 from the state general fund to the program. The Clark County Commission followed in the legislature’s footsteps and approved an additional $500,000.
“With the passage of AB 376, Nevada became the seventh [state] to provide state funding for immigration defense,” the university wrote.
In 2023, the Immigration Clinic received another cash boost when the Nevada Legislature passed AB 328, appropriating an additional $1 million to the legal clinic through 2025.
In addition to public funds, the legal clinic operates out of donated office space in downtown Las Vegas, contributed by Ozzie Fumo, a former Democratic member of the Nevada Assembly and adjunct professor at the law school.
The legal clinic employs at least four attorneys and four fellows and trains law students as part of its operations.
“We offer law students real-world experience practicing immigration law,” the website states.
Students work under the supervision of an experienced attorney and engage in activities such as representing clients in court, drafting legislation, testifying before the Nevada Legislature, and handling asylum and family court proceedings for unaccompanied minors.
The clinic offers both undergraduate internships and law school externships.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
