Latinos en Spokane created a capital campaign in 2023 to develop a legal clinic to help low-income people. They produced a film named “The Immigrant Resident” to raise money and within a year, they had enough to open and operate the free clinic they named Poder Legal.
The clinic targets Latinos who need free-to-low-cost direct services in legal aid, immigration and public notary. however it is open to everyone.
The clinic hired Zaida Rivera as their primary immigration attorney.
“There's such a huge need in eastern Washington because it's a legal desert — and so I think that's why Poder Legal is going to be such an influential organization to serve our community and provide education as well,” she said.
Rivera is an immigrant herself. She is passionate about justice initiatives and says she is proud to be part of a team that is providing legal services.
The clinic also hired a paralegal and an immigration caseworker. It holds legal and immigration sessions twice a month at their Latinos en Spokane office.
Rivera says her team has seen families coming as far as Walla Walla and Omak. She expects the business to continue to grow as word spreads.
Monica Carrillo-Casas is a Murrow Fellowship reporter through the WSU College of Communications. Her work is overseen by editors at the Spokesman-Review and Spokane Public Radio.