WIAP seeks $60k town/county funding for immigrant legal help in FY27

The Wyoming Immigrant Advocacy Project (WIAP) is asking local government to treat immigration legal help like part of the valley’s basic safety net. In a FY27 Health & Human Services funding request staff report, WIAP requests $37,500 from Teton County and $22,500 from the Town of Jackson for “Legal Issue Support,” for free and low-cost immigration legal services, public education, and systemic advocacy. Source: Wyoming Immigrant Advocacy Project Funding Request Staff Report.

The application says demand is already outpacing capacity: WIAP reports more than 50 consultations, hundreds of hours responding to 500+ external contacts, and waitlists of 40+ for consultations and 30+ for representation. It also describes plans to expand staffing in 2026 (a staff attorney in July, then an accredited representative and communications director in the fall) and to build out “Know Your Rights” programming.

This is workforce infrastructure, not politics. When people are scared to show up to work, take their kid to school, file taxes, or go to the clinic because they don’t know their rights or worry about data sharing, the whole local economy feels it—especially in jobs with early shifts and no paid time to chase paperwork. The practical question for town and county budget writers: will $60,000 actually reduce the waitlist and keep families stable enough to stay housed and keep working, and will services be accessible in Spanish on hours that fit shift work (not just 9–5)?