FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, October 5, 2022
CONTACT: Benson Gardner, communications and development manager, 608-620-0711, bgardner@wistaf.org
MADISON — The Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation (WisTAF) today distributed funds that allow people who evacuated Afghanistan to pursue necessary legal avenues to stability and self-sufficiency. The disbursements are the first in the Afghan Immigration-Related Legal Assistance grant program. WisTAF launched the program using federal funds, in partnership with state government.
“Individuals and organizations are coming together to answer the call for people who fled Afghanistan," said WisTAF’s executive director, Rebecca L. Murray. "I'm inspired by the collaboration of longstanding WisTAF grant recipients, other members of the legal community, faith-based organizations, and government agencies. A person working to build a better life shouldn’t get stopped by the technical nature of our legal system."
People evacuating to the United States typically must apply for asylum or other short- or long-term residency status. The process is so technical, even fluent English-speakers need professional legal help to complete it. What’s more, a paperwork filing deadline rapidly approaches for those who evacuated Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to power.
Earlier this year, WisTAF received funds from the State of Wisconsin to administer grants providing the necessary legal assistance. The Bureau of Refugee Programs at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families coordinated with WisTAF to launch the program.
Recognizing the urgency, WisTAF gave interested organizations a brief window to apply, and the WisTAF Board of Directors conducted its rigorous review in expedited fashion. The board then finalized the following grants, totaling $674,150 for five organizations that work with Afghan evacuees:
Afghan Immigration-Related Legal Assistance grant payments will be distributed to these grantees on a reimbursement basis, beginning with today’s payments and ending no later than May 2024.
WisTAF was established by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1986 to aid in the administration of justice. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, WisTAF works with civil legal aid organizations in the state to increase access to justice. WisTAF oversees funds and invests in services and projects to help people resolve legal problems.
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