To establish the right to counsel, at Government expense for those who cannot afford counsel, for people facing removal.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates a right to free legal representation for anyone facing deportation or immigration proceedings who cannot afford an attorney. It establishes a new federal organization called the Office of Immigration Representation to provide public defenders for immigration courts, similar to how public defenders exist for criminal cases.
Who Benefits and How
Immigrants facing deportation proceedings who cannot afford lawyers will receive free legal representation. Immigration attorneys and legal service providers will see significant new employment opportunities and funding. Legal aid organizations specializing in immigration will receive federal contracts and support.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers will fund the new Office of Immigration Representation through open-ended appropriations. The Department of Homeland Security and immigration courts may face longer case processing times due to increased legal challenges. Federal budget will be impacted as funding must match a ratio tied to immigration enforcement spending.
Key Provisions
- Guarantees appointed counsel for all individuals in removal, exclusion, deportation, and bond proceedings
- Creates the Office of Immigration Representation as an independent nonprofit corporation
- Establishes regional public defender organizations and panel attorney systems
- Requires minimum funding tied to federal immigration enforcement spending
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes a constitutional right to government-appointed counsel for individuals in immigration proceedings who cannot afford representation, creating a comprehensive public defender system for immigration courts.
Key Policy Areas
Immigration, Legal Services, Civil Rights, Federal Appropriations
Primary Purpose
Establishes a constitutional right to government-appointed counsel for individuals in immigration proceedings who cannot afford representation, creating a comprehensive public defender system for immigration courts.
Policy Domains
Title I - Right to Counsel
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Immigrants facing deportation
- Immigration attorneys
- Legal aid organizations
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal taxpayers
- Immigration courts
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title II - Office of Immigration Representation
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Immigration attorneys
- Legal service providers
- Community defender organizations
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal budget
- Office of Management and Budget
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title III - Authorization of Appropriations
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Office of Immigration Representation
- Immigration public defenders
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal taxpayers
- Federal budget
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Markey, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Community Defender Organizations, Experienced immigration attorneys, Expert witnesses and investigators
Immigrants in deportation or removal proceedings, Immigrants in detention, Immigrants seeking asylum or humanitarian relief
Positive-direction: Immigrants in deportation or removal proceedings, Immigrants in detention, Immigrants seeking asylum or humanitarian relief, Immigrants who cannot afford legal representation
Negative-direction: Taxpayers
Federal employee benefit programs, Immigration courts, Office of Immigration Representation
Positive-direction: Office of Immigration Representation
Negative-direction: Federal employee benefit programs, Immigration courts
Community-based immigration organizations
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_board"
- → Board of Directors of the Office of Immigration Representation
- "the_office"
- → Office of Immigration Representation
- "local_board"
- → Local Immigration Representation Board
- "the_director"
- → Director of the Office of Immigration Representation
- "omb"
- → Office of Management and Budget
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The Board of Directors of the Office of Immigration Representation
An organization established by a Local Board to provide immigration representation
The Office of Immigration Representation established under section 202
The Director of the Office of Immigration Representation appointed pursuant to section 206(k)(1)
A local immigration representation board established within a region
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology