126 defenders, 31 states, 1 national training

The Defending Immigrants Partnership (DIP) held its Sixth National Training on Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions in Denver in May 2012. DIP Partners IDP, ILRC and NIPNLG trained 126 attorneys from public defender offices in 31 states on crim-imm law, advising immigrant clients, strategies to avoid deportability and institutionalizing Padilla in defender offices. Attendees were nominated by their chief defender or training director and selected based on a commitment to share the information with their colleagues. IDP and its partners will offer guidance and assistance throughout the year, as the attendees begin or enhance immigration protocols at their offices. This training was supported by a generous grant from the Ford Foundation.