Lin-Manuel Miranda donates thousands to Pima County Justice for All

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - The Pima County Justice for All campaign has found a new ally in Broadway hit creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The group said Miranda donated $25,000 to help them provide guaranteed legal representation to undocumented people embroiled in immigration proceedings in Pima County.

The grant was part of a $225,000 donation from the Miranda Foundation to nine immigration and policy reform groups. Miranda and his father, Luis Miranda Jr., said they hope the donations boost the capacity of these organizations.

“We’re at our best when we’re celebrating our promise,” Lin-Manuel Miranda said. “So many people come here from all over the world because of this promise that we export — and that we so often fall short of. If you work hard, there is a possibility of a better life. We want to help the organizations that help to make that possible for folks who make that journey.”

Miranda’s latest project is a film adaptation of the early 2000s musical he wrote, “In the Heights,” which follows the lives of undocumented immigrants in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.

Pima County Justice for All aims to support a 2022 ballot initiative that would give immigrants in Pima County access to a public defender, which they are not legally entitled to now.

Volunteers said without legal representation, many undocumented immigrants could face deportation, which separates families and causes significant financial loss.