"The results are really pretty astounding," Tipper says of immigrant legal defense funds, in particular one funded by taxpayer money in New York state. "Overall, I think it elevates the quality of the outcome for everyone involved. To me, it’s a really smart investment." Using numbers from fiscal year 2019, CFI's report determined that a statewide immigrant legal defense fund for both detained and non-detained indigent immigrants would carry a $15.2 million annual price tag, but also result in $18.6 million every year. These savings would come partially from preventing $3.9 million in lost wages that result when family members are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility, which is operated by private prison company GEO Group.