The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) will fund qualified social service organizations, charitable foundations or trusts, nonprofit organizations, private law firms, businesses, governmental entities or a combination of these entities, to provide immigration legal services as outlined here.
The State of Colorado is looking to scale its current immigration legal assistance efforts in order to maximize the number of eligible newly arrived migrant families who can gain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and an accompanying Employment Authorization Document (EAD) in order to help our newest Coloradans become self-sufficient.
Deadline
Please submit your application by 11:59 p.m. on January 19, 2024. Late applications can be accepted at the discretion of DHSEM. This funding must be expended by June 30, 2024. The maximum funding available for all entities is approximately $1 million.
Preferred Model
Based on recent experience and an understanding of the strengths and limitations of immigrant-serving legal and social services sectors in Colorado, the state recommends the following service model:
- Virtual Immigration Law Firm with In-Person Document Submission
Process Flow
The process flow starts with community-based outreach and intake and then legal and administrative triage followed by virtual immigration legal services and finally in-person application submission as show in the image below.
Each of the activities and the tasks to include are shared in the table below.
| Activity | to include |
|---|---|
| Community Based Outreach and Intake | Outreach to eligible population, coordinate intake appointments, conduct eligibility screening, initiate TPS/EAD applications, verify and prepare evidence, translate identity documents. |
| Legal and Administrative Triage | Perform quality control on intake materials, including evidence, recruit and coordinate legal services providers, prepare materials for and delegate cases to legal services providers, train and performance manage outreach and intake providers, administer contracts and funds for legal services and outreach and intake. Train and provide technical assistance to non-immigration attorneys as needed. |
| Virtual Immigration Legal Services | Attorneys directly coordinate meetings with applicants, provide expert legal services to finalizes TPS and EAD applications as preparer. |
| In-Person Application Submission in Coordination with State and Federal Governments | Coordinate use of venue and logistics, coordinating with federal agency partners, coordinating applicant and service providers, on-site, strive to utilize existing state or local-government-coordinated clinic structures, day-of coordination, develop a plan for follow up services for rejected applications and requests for evidence |
This model will provide free immigration legal assistance to newly arrived migrants who are eligible first-time TPS and EAD applicants and who arrived in Colorado from January 2022 and intend to call Colorado home. Funds may not be used for new arrivals who are eligible for the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement Program.
These funds are authorized and budgeted through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds, appropriated and otherwise made available pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-75-226 and funds that may be made available through C.R.S. §24-33.5-1623. Applicants will need to report all funding received through this program on their Schedule of Expedited Federal Awards and comply with all relevant federal rules and regulations.
Applicants are free to suggest other models for program delivery. If an applicant suggests a model other than the state’s recommended model, please ensure that your model is sufficiently described in your application.
Program Activities
Immigration legal services should be culturally and linguistically appropriate and should include:
- TPS and EAD eligibility screening.
- Evidence review and preparation.
- Preparation of the I-912 Form - Request for Fee Waiver or its alternative for all eligible applicants in need and working with Colorado’s Office of New Americans (ONA) to ensure successful submission.
- Preparation and submission of the I-821 TPS and I-765 EAD forms for a minimum of 3,500 first time applicants.
- Minimum applications submitted may be modified upon mutual agreement, in accordance with significant changes to context or demand.
- Training immigration and/or non-immigration attorneys to prepare TPS and EAD applications.
- Providing highly responsive expert support to contracted legal services providers preparing TPS and EAD applications.
- Providing expert technical assistance to and performance management of immigrant serving community based organizations and other institutions or partners as needed.
- Coordinating with ONA to integrate and maximize efforts with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) supported legal services (e.g., biometrics, expedited processing, fee waivers).
- Coordinating community based organizations, contractors and legal experts to provide services.
- Administering and tracking funds to sub-grantees, contractors and service providers.
- Collecting data on the number of individuals screened, number of applications submitted, and if possible number of successful applications.
Program Administration
Applicants are required to submit monthly reports by the 10th day of the following month on all activities that utilize grant funding. Monthly invoices are due on the 15th of the following month. These deadlines can be set for another date of each month based on mutual agreement of the parties. Applicants that do not submit reports or are late in filling out reports may have their grants revoked. Reports include:
- Summary update to state grants manager regarding all activities performed for the reporting period.
- Challenges encountered during the reporting period.
- Unique or new objectives for the next reporting period.
All grantee(s) are required to coordinate with other state grantees, local governments, ONA, and USCIS as needed in order to maximize funding streams and services to new arrivals.
The current funding is available for a period of performance through June 30, 2024. All costs proposed must be expended by that date or they are not eligible for reimbursement under this award.
Applicant Scoring
Applicants that can show how they will maximize funds to provide free immigration legal assistance to the most eligible applicants as quickly as possible will score more highly upon review.
Applicants with extensive experience coordinating pro or low bono attorneys in Colorado, or plans to partner with an expert that does, will score more highly upon review.
Applicants with immigration legal expertise in TPS and EAD applications, or plans to partner with an expert that does, will score more highly upon review.
Applicants whose proposal will have the secondary effect of positively impacting the long-term capacity of Colorado’s immigration legal services sector will score more highly upon review.
The scoring criteria are:
- Efficiency: Applicants that can help more people expeditiously in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner with less funding will score more highly.
- Narrative description of program: Applicants that describe how their program thoroughly meets the needs of Colorado’s newest arrivals and how their proposal may positively impact the state’s capacity for free and affordable immigration legal services, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner, and shows a plan for success will score more highly.
- Detailed budget: Applicants that provide a detailed budget to demonstrate how they will maximize funding will score more highly.
- References: Applicants that include references that can verify the applicant has run similar successful programs will score more highly.
- Experience with other federal grant funding: Applicants that can demonstrate successful federal grant management experience and attach their policies and procedures for compliance with federal grants will score more highly. Applicants that cannot demonstrate funding from previous federal grants should take time to explain any contracting or procurement actions they may take and how they will comply with federal grant requirements; they should also attach any policies and procedures that govern how they administer their finances and manage contracts or grants.
How to Apply
- Applicants must submit a narrative with their proposal which includes all information requested in the “Applicant Scoring” section.
- Complete the application below.
- Provide a recently signed W-9.
- Send all documents to CDPS_SEOCFinance@state.co.us.
Application
Download the application to your computer to update and submit.