No, Eyes on ICE Legal Defense does not provide any direct support to defendants.  It only provides support for legal services.  If you need additional assistance, please reach out to the organizations listed on our Resources page.

No, Eyes on ICE Legal Defense only supports cases related to ICE / CBP in Minnesota.  However, the fund will support those charged by another federal agency or state, county, or local branch of law enforcement collaborating on ICE / CBP enforcement actions.

Eyes in ICE Legal Defense prioritizes providing legal support for the representation of individuals who are not entitled to counsel at government expense and who lack the financial resources to retain private representation, with a particular focus on those arrested or charged in Minnesota for their efforts to observe, document, or protest against the operations of ICE / CBP, and any federal, state, county, or local law enforcement agencies with which they are cooperating.

In allocating resources, EOILD will approve applications prioritizing the following criteria: 

1. The legal, constitutional, and mission impact of the case

2. Whether the defendant is entitled to court‑appointed counsel at public expense  

3. The defendant’s financial resources

4. The case’s complexity and the scope of the litigation

EOILD does not support legal services focused on immigration law, civil litigation, or impact litigation.

Payments will be determined by a fee schedule that progresses based on the seriousness of the charges, if the charges are state or federal, the number of court appearances required, the attorney’s total number of hours worked, whether the case proceeds to trial, and if there are one or more attorneys or defendants. 

There is a total fee cap of $10,000 for any single defendant, if warranted, and if the case has proceeded to (and through) trial.

There is no guarantee either of receipt of funds or receipt of maximum amounts identified in the fee schedule.

Funds will be disbursed on a funds-available basis.  Eyes on ICE Legal Defense is a new, small, and all-volunteer organization.  The likelihood of support will depend on ongoing fundraising and the number of applications received.  Eyes on ICE Legal Defense is unlikely to be able to fund every application.

Eyes on ICE Legal Defense is a nonprofit social welfare organization, operating under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501(c)(4).