KINGSTON — As immigration enforcement intensifies across the country, a local nonprofit is working to establish what organizers hope will be Ulster County’s first nonprofit immigration legal practice.

The Ulster Immigrant Defense Network is in the early stages of building the practice, which would provide legal representation to immigrants navigating an increasingly complex and high-stakes system. The effort is being led by Víctor Cueva, the organization’s executive director, who took on the role last September.

“The biggest need right now is getting people out of detention, challenging detention,” Cueva said, noting that demand for immigration legal services has grown significantly as federal enforcement has ramped up.

Cueva said having legal representation dramatically improves an immigrant’s chances of success in their case. Beyond detention challenges, the organization is also seeing significant need from people seeking asylum.

The practice remains in early development, and Cueva cautioned that it will not open in the immediate future. The organization’s immediate goal is to hire a pro bono supervising attorney who would represent clients and take on full cases — a position estimated to cost between $90,000 and $100,000 annually, plus benefits and additional expenses such as equipment and software.

The practice does not yet have a name.

Filling a gap

Private immigration attorneys exist in the region, and Catholic Charities operates an immigration legal practice in the Hudson Valley, but Cueva said existing resources cannot keep pace with current demand. Many immigrants must travel to New York City or other areas to access free legal services — or go without representation entirely, which can be detrimental to their cases.

UIDN currently operates a volunteer-run immigration clinic that provides guidance and helps people file applications, but lacks the capacity to take on full legal cases. A hired attorney would supervise that clinic while also handling complex, long-term cases.

Cueva also raised concerns about immigration fraud, saying that desperate immigrants are sometimes taken advantage of by people misrepresenting their qualifications. He pointed to confusion around the role of notaries as one example — in many Latin American countries, a notary holds legal authority similar to an attorney, a distinction that does not apply in the United States.

“It definitely happens,” Cueva said of the fraud, though he acknowledged uncertainty about how widespread it is in the Hudson Valley.

A personal mission

Cueva came to Kingston from Lima, Peru in 2001 at age 10. From an early age, he served as an interpreter for his family at doctor’s appointments and in daily life, giving him a firsthand understanding of the barriers immigrants face.

That experience, combined with years working in immigration services including a stint with Catholic Charities in the Hudson Valley, shaped his commitment to expanding access to legal help in the region.

UIDN is currently fundraising to support the new practice.

Image: Victor Cueva, the Ulster Immigrant Defense Network Executive Director. (UIDN)