Legal interpreters are a necessity for non-English speakers in the court. Due to the many languages immigrants speak, finding an interpreter may be hard, especially if a person speaks an indigenous language. Champaign, Illinois is making an effort to meet the need of Mayan interpreters in immigrant communities in the area.
“When we don’t have a decent interpreter who can communicate with them, and then you know you have to rely on a family member or someone in the community and you’re asking these questions about prior gender violence or family violence, you’re not necessarily going to get the correct information or the full picture,” said Ashley Huebner, an attorney at NIJC, to the Chicago Tribune. “So it really does impede the ability to fully represent these individuals and for these individuals to have access to protection.” Read the full story.