Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund

The City and County of Denver is enriched by the different talents, work, and culture of all of its residents, including immigrants, their families, and families of mixed immigration statuses. For immigrants, legal status is the biggest obstacle to adapting into the U.S., and coupled with an increasing need for costly legal representation, access to it is challenging. 

The Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund established under Executive Order 142 and managed by The Denver Foundation in partnership with a community advisory board, helps increase legal services for individuals who are being threatened or are facing potential removal from the City and County of Denver due to their immigration status.

The fund awards grants to qualified nonprofit organizations to offer legal representation in detention and/or subject to removal proceedings, provide affirmative relief to individuals seeking help with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and various visa programs, support capacity building or other innovative projects to help organizations increase the pool of pro-bono or low-bono immigration attorneys available to represent immigrants, and to assist in the course of representation, including legal resources and/or scholarships to pay for filing and other representation-related application fees.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is Denver's Immigrant Legal Services Fund?

The fund awards grants to nonprofit organizations to provide representation for qualified individuals threatened with or in removal proceedings.


Why do we need a Legal Services Fund?

Providing representation to immigrants in removal proceedings is about bringing fairness to complex immigration proceedings.

Legal defense should not be for only those who can afford it.

Immigrants are over 10 times more likely to be able to stay in the country when they have legal representation.

Deportation proceedings are the only legal proceedings in the United States where people are detained without access to legal representation.


What's at stake in Denver?

The federal government’s latest immigration rules have caused disruption in our community.Mass deportations drain our community's resources. We lose important tax revenue, local businesses face disruptions, schools turn into crisis centers, and children separated from their parents may end up in foster care.

At the local level, we need to work together to find solutions that are efficient, effective, and humane to reduce disruptions.

Fair representation and due process will help reduce fear and take care of our community. Legal representation ensures fairness and due process for individuals. This is different from the question of whether someone should be deported.

  • Approximately 546,000 immigrants live in Colorado, making up 10% of the total population. These members of our community generate over $49.1 billion of our state's $491 billion economic output. (Colorado Fiscal Institute)
  • Colorado’s state and local economies lost over $15.8 million in economic activity, and state and local governments lost more than $894,000 in taxes from immigrants detained during their case. (Colorado Fiscal Institute)
  • 90,000 children in Colorado live with at least one undocumented person and at least one documented person. Taking parents and close family members away can make children and families more likely to have mental health issues, do worse in school, and have financial problems. (Colorado Fiscal Institute)

Who qualifies to receive legal defense services?

  • Individuals subject to actual or potential immigration removal proceedings and/or who are subject to a final order of removal
  • Denver residents (To be considered a resident an individual has to be able to verify their presence in the City and County of Denver for at least 60 days)
  • Individuals who have a household income of 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

Who will select the nonprofits that will do this work?

The Denver Foundation and an advisory committee, will chose the nonprofit organizations who will provide direct services to individuals.


Who is funding this initiative?

Anyone can donate to this fund, which consists of both private and public dollars. The fund has received contributions from the City & County of Denver, the Vera Institute of Justice SAFE Cities Network, The Denver Foundation, the Rose Community Foundation, and numerous private donors.


What is the timeline for the fund?

To apply, please visit the Denver Foundation’s website, or follow this link: Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund (DILSF) - Denver Foundation.

  • Opening Date: August 22, 2025
  • Closing Date: October 3, 2025
  • Typical Grant Range: $25,000 to $200,000
  • Funding Area: Other
  • Region: Metro Denver

Why should the city government use taxpayer money for this purpose?

Our community is safest when all our neighbors trust their officials and institutions, and know everyone will be treated with dignity and fairness.

Denver’s immigrants contribute greatly to the economic and cultural makeup of Denver’s community.  Providing representation to immigrants in removal proceedings is not about who deserves to stay or be deported.  The fairest and most efficient way to bring order to these complex proceedings is to ensure legal representation for those whose future may well depend on it.


Where can I find more information?

Please visit The Denver Foundation website at http://www.denverfoundation.org/Nonprofits/Grants-What-We-Fund/Other-Grant-Programs/Immigrant-Legal-Services-Fund for additional information. Julie Voyles, Senior Special Funds Officer at The Denver Foundation, is also available to answer questions and may be reached at jvoyles@denverfoundation.org.

Please direct all media inquiries to Laura Bond, Director of Communications at The Denver Foundation, lbond@denverfoundation.org.


How can I contribute?

Donations of any amount are welcome.  Please either visit The Denver Foundation web portal: (https://denverfoundation.org/donor-services/make-a-gift/ ) or send a check made out to Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund and mail to the following address:

The Denver Foundation
1009 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203


 

Upcoming Funding Opportunity

The Denver Foundation is pleased to invite qualified nonprofits to apply for funding from the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund.

Learn More

  • Opening Date: August 22, 2025
  • Closing Date: October 3, 2025
  • Typical Grant Range: $25,000 to $200,000
  • Funding Area: Other
  • Region: Metro Denver

 

Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund Reports

Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund Grantees

Current Grantees

6240 Smith Road, Denver, CO 80216

303-742-0828

913 North Wyandot, Denver, CO 80204

303-839-1008

1600 Downing St, Suite 600, Denver, CO 80218

303-980-5400

7301 Federal Blvd., Suite 300, Westminster, CO 80030

(303) 433-2812

1873 S. Bellaire St., 5th Floor, Denver, CO. 80220

720-507-7031 

3264 Larimer St. Suite D, Denver, CO. 80205

720-507-3651

2055 S. Oneida St., Suite 290, Denver, CO 80224

303-369-7044

123 N. College Ave., Suite 120, Fort Collins, CO 80524

970-398-8486

517 E. 16th Ave., Denver, CO 80203

303-376-9907

2231 Crystal Dr., Suite 350, Arlington, VA 22202

703-310-1130