Immigration Law

MICROSOFT BACKS AID PLAN FOR IMMIGRANT KIDS

By Greg Siskind

Kudos to Microsoft for taking on a cause that other corporations would probably ignore. The Redmond, Washington high tech company will fund an initiative in nine cities to ensure that detained immigrant children who arrived in the US on their own receive legal assistance. Actress Angelina Jolie will be the lead spokeswoman for the cause, known as KIND - Kids in Need of Defense.

Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith credited Microsoft's immigrant work force for the inspiration to take on this cause. Only half of the estimated 8,000 detained children in the US are represented by lawyers. And represented children are more than eight times more likely to be successful in an asylum claim.

Microsoft will get help from 25 law firms around the US as well as the legal departments of major companies like Merck and News Corp. And Microsoft's own 450 lawyer legal department will donate its time.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on October 18, 2008 (boomark / email).