ALBANY, N.Y. -- With 200 immigrants currently detained at the Albany County Jail, the Albany Legal Project seeks assistance from both attorneys and interpreters, as the different languages can make it difficult to navigate complex legal issues.
Sheriff Craig Apple says it's about helping the people his office is now responsible for overseeing.
"This is about trying to help some people. If you're going to be able to stay here, then maybe the lawyers can help you," said Apple, D-Albany County. "If you've got to go back, then they can expedite that process."
"The message is attorneys. We really, really need attorneys. Attorneys are the most important piece of this puzzle right now, and I cannot stress enough: You do not need immigration experience to volunteer," said Sarah Rogerson, an Albany Law School professor. "We do have a training coming up on July 11th for people who want to be trained before they get out in the field."
Apple says the people held are not violent offenders, and that the only strike against them was coming into the U.S. illegally.