The SHIELD Act authorizes the Attorney General to award competitive grants to states, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to develop the legal services workforce and infrastructure needed to represent immigrants facing deportation. Eligible recipients can use these funds for workforce recruitment and training programs, technical assistance, staff retention strategies, and facilities infrastructure to expand access to legal representation in immigration proceedings. The legislation reflects congressional findings that most immigrants in deportation cases lack legal representation, and those with attorneys are significantly more likely to win their cases or be released from detention. Grant recipients must report annually on their activities and outcomes, with individual grants lasting four years and renewable thereafter. The Act authorizes $100 million in funding for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with the program to be administered independently by the Director of the Office of Access to Justice to prioritize increasing representation access over immigration enforcement priorities.
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