Pascrell Supports Expanded Access to Counsel

Statement

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today voted in support of H.R. 5581, the Access to Counsel Act of 2020, critical legislation that will ensure the right to access legal counsel for individuals facing immigration inspection upon seeking admission into the United States. The legislation was approved by the House of Representatives this afternoon.

"One of the cornerstones of our nation is the right to access legal counsel. That if you need assistance, you have a right to communicate with counsel," said Rep. Pascrell. "The process of entering the United States is rightly complex, but those seeking to navigate those rules must have help. The Trump administration has worked assiduously to restrict that right with tragic consequences including countless unwarranted detentions and deportations without due process of law. The legislation we ratify today will ensure the right to communicate with legal counsel is not infringed for children, refugees, and many other vulnerable peoples with valid travel documents. Protecting the rights of anyone under her watch is what a great nation does."

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