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SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION REPRESENTATION
Mission Statement:
Respondents in
immigration proceedings face detention, deportation and often times,
permanent expulsion from the United States
with no constitutional right to government-funded legal
representation. Many of these
immigrants have limited resources and cannot afford an attorney, leaving
them unrepresented or vulnerable to unscrupulous and unauthorized
individuals who exploit language barriers and exact exorbitant fees in
exchange for providing incompetent and insufficient
assistance. With the dramatic and rapid
escalation of immigration enforcement policies and resources, efforts in
providing effective and readily-available quality representation and
assistance are necessary to promote a fair and just immigration court
system. The dearth of adequate legal
representation in immigration cases impedes an already overburdened
court system, where judges are often left to fill in the gaps as they do
their best to ensure that respondents receive fair
treatment.
The
mission and objective of the Special Committee on Immigration
Representation is to examine the challenges faced by respondents and the
courts in these matters, and generate a report and recommendations to
improve the quality and availability of legal representation in
immigration cases. The Special
Committee will seek input from judges and attorneys with experience in
immigration proceedings, and it will consider possible improvements to
attorney training and CLE; expansion of pro bono opportunities; creation
of referral services and legal orientation programs around the state to
assist respondents; and implementation of written standards for
representation in immigration matters.
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