(KIWA Staff Photo)
Des Moines, Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — The Iowa Supreme Court has approved more than $1.2 million in grants to organizations across the state that provide civil legal assistance to low-income Iowans.
According to the court, a total of $1,226,592 was awarded through Iowa’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account (IOLTA) program for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026, and ending June 30th, 2027.
Among the recipients is Immigrant Connection of Northwest Iowa in Sioux Center, which received $30,600. The funding will support low-cost immigration legal services provided by Department of Justice-accredited representatives serving low-income individuals in rural northwest Iowa, primarily in Sioux County.
Immigrant Connection assists clients with adjustment of status, consular processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), employment authorization, family-based petitions, and naturalization and citizenship applications. The organization also helps with immigration forms and filings with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The organization serves several populations, including farm workers, individuals without legal immigration status, people with physical or mental disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community. Services are available in English and Spanish, and referrals to additional support services are also provided.
Statewide, the grants support programs that help Iowans facing civil legal issues such as divorce, domestic abuse, unsafe housing, illegal evictions, immigration matters, disability advocacy, and child-custody cases.
The Iowa Supreme Court says IOLTA grant funds come from interest earned on certain pooled trust accounts held by Iowa attorneys. Since the program began in 1985, more than $30 million in grants has been awarded.
The largest award this year went to Iowa Legal Aid in Des Moines, which received $487,400 for statewide civil legal assistance. Other recipients include Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Disability Rights Iowa, and several regional legal-assistance programs throughout the state.
