PETITION TO THE CITY OF TUCSON  

INVEST IN LEGAL AID AND DUE PROCESS FOR IMMIGRANTS

To:  

THE HONORABLE MAYOR REGINA ROMERO 

TUCSON CITY COUNCIL  

CITY MANAGER TIMOTHY THOMURE  

255 W. Alameda Street  

Tucson, Arizona 85701 

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED,  

Residents, voters, organizations, and allies in TUCSON, ARIZONA, present this PETITION with clarity and resolve, rooted in moral conviction and lawful necessity, to DEMAND municipal investment in legal aid and due process protections for immigrants.

WHEREAS: 

• The CITY OF TUCSON has declared itself an IMMIGRANT-WELCOMING CITY and has a duty to uphold the dignity, rights, and protections of ALL persons within its jurisdiction, regardless of immigration status; 
• Immigrants face a disproportionately high risk of deportation without legal representation, despite the life-altering consequences such proceedings have on families, employment, housing, and basic human rights;  
• There is NO GUARANTEED RIGHT TO COUNSEL in immigration court proceedings, and studies confirm that individuals with legal representation are up to ten times more likely to obtain relief;  
• Investing in legal representation and deportation defense is a proven, cost-effective method that stabilizes families, preserves communities, and strengthens public trust in local government;  
• Other cities, such as SAN ANTONIO, AUSTIN, CHICAGO, and LOS ANGELES, have successfully implemented city-funded deportation defense funds that preserve due process and restore justice for immigrant residents;  
• Moral, humanitarian, and constitutional imperatives compel this municipality to ACT decisively and courageously in the face of federal inaction and systemic inequity.   

THEREFORE, WE HEREBY PETITION AND DEMAND:

That the CITY OF TUCSON allocate a MINIMUM of $500,000 ANNUALLY in the CITY BUDGET for a MUNICIPAL IMMIGRATION LEGAL DEFENSE FUND to support:

1. Direct legal representation for immigrants facing deportation or detention;  
2. Community-based nonprofit legal service providers rooted in Tucson’s neighborhoods;  
3. Know-Your-Rights education and access to pro bono assistance;
4. Due process guarantees aligned with the CONSTITUTIONAL and NATURAL RIGHTS of all persons.   

WE FURTHER DECLARE: 

That due process is not a privilege, but a constitutionally secured RIGHT, and that justice denied to the vulnerable is justice denied to us all. The City of Tucson must invest in protecting those who are most at risk, ensuring that the scales of justice are not tilted by wealth or status, but balanced by conscience and law.

PRESENTED this day by the People of Tucson, Arizona.