Opportunity Overview
The New Jersey Department of Human Services, Office of New Americans is accepting proposals for the Legal Services Program: Detention and Deportation Initiative. The program supports legal representation and related support services for financially and otherwise eligible New Jersey residents facing immigration detention, deportation, and removal proceedings.
Funding
ONA anticipates making awards totaling up to $12 million across three funding options. Option A supports experienced removal defense providers with awards of up to $5 million per award. Option B supports immigration legal services organizations expanding removal defense capacity with awards up to $1 million per award. Option C provides one award up to $1 million for the statewide DDDI Coordination Entity.
No funding match is required. Applicants must disclose other in kind and monetary resources supporting the proposed activities.
Eligibility and Scope
Bidders may be nonprofit, governmental, or private entities, but must satisfy the qualifications for the selected funding option. All bidders must have or use appropriately licensed and credentialed professionals, including immigration attorneys who directly provide or supervise the required services. Option A requires experienced removal defense capacity. Option B requires immigration legal services experience and capacity expansion. Option C requires experience coordinating statewide or multi provider legal service programs, referral systems, reporting, technical assistance, and program oversight.
Options A and B may use ONA approved partnerships, subgrants, and subcontractors. Subgranting is not permitted for Option C.
Allowable Costs and Contract Term
Allowable costs include reasonable administrative, staffing, direct service, programmatic, litigation support, interpretation and translation, expert or consultant, document procurement, evaluation, and other approved case related expenses necessary to carry out the scope. Lobbying is not allowable. The initial contract term is anticipated to be one year and may be renewed for up to four additional one year terms at ONA discretion, subject to funding and satisfactory performance.
Deadline and Submission
Complete proposals must be submitted no later than September 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. The proposal narrative, budget, budget notes, and appendices must be combined into a single PDF and emailed to the DHS proposal address specified in the RFP.
Atlas Fit
Atlas Opportunity Score: 87/100. N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. This is a legal services and statewide coordination opportunity. The controlling scope does not establish a legitimate role for the Nonagon N9+ device and platform or QC Healthcare, and Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare direct applicant qualifications are not established. No applicant outreach or direct vendor pursuit is authorized on the verified scope.