Senators Intro Bill to Provide Legal Representation for Minors Appearing in Immigration Court

Senators Bob Menéndez (D-NJ), Kamala Harris, Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined nine of their Democratic colleagues in introducing the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act to provide unaccompanied immigrant children with access to legal representation when they appear in removal proceedings before an immigration judge. The bill would require that unaccompanied immigrant children be represented by government-appointed counsel during removal proceedings and any subsequent appeals. The Act would mandate that these children are informed of this right and have access to a lawyer even if they are being detained in a government facility. The Act would also encourage the recruitment of attorneys willing to help these children on a pro bono basis and would create professional requirements and guidelines for legal representation of these children. The complex immigration system is difficult enough for an English-speaking adult to navigate with the assistance of an attorney, yet children as young as three years of age are expected to advocate for themselves -- a situation that has been challenged as unconstitutional. More here.