Sec. 202. Sense of Congress on access to legal counsel
190 words·~1 min read·
/bill/118/s/883/is/section-202·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— immigration law is so complex that it is nearly impossible, and therefore unjust, for immigrants to navigate the immigration system without legal assistance or represent themselves in immigration court; immigrants without legal counsel are far more likely, as compared to immigrants with legal counsel, to be denied immigration benefits or be deported, which may result in dire consequences, including— the denial of lawful immigration status or United States citizenship; loss of livelihood; the separation of an immigrant from, or the inability of an immigrant to support, his or her family; life-threatening danger in the country of origin of an immigrant; and a long-term or permanent ban on reentering the United States; and consistent with the United States values of fairness and justice and the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees all individuals the due process of law, any individual subject to immigration proceedings or the appeal of a proceeding before an immigration judge or the Attorney General should have the right to be represented by counsel, including Government-funded counsel, regardless of the ability of the individual to pay.