Fairness to Freedom Act of 2023
The Fairness to Freedom Act of 2023 guarantees the right to government-funded legal counsel for immigrants facing removal, exclusion, deportation, or bond proceedings who cannot afford private representation. It establishes the Office of Immigration Representation to oversee this system, with Local Boards in each region managing appointments and ensuring quality representation through public defender organizations, community defender organizations, and attorney panels. The bill requires counsel to be appointed within 24 hours for detained individuals, ensures continuous representation through all proceedings, mandates minimum funding based on a prosecution-defense ratio, and prohibits using appointed counsel as a basis for public charge determinations.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2023
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Apr 18, 2023
Last action Apr 18, 2023
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Apr 18, 2023
Committee
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
lower
Apr 18, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 38 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Norma J. Torres
DDemocratic
Co
Adriano Espaillat
DDemocratic
Co
Andrea Salinas
DDemocratic
Co
André Carson
DDemocratic
Co
Barbara Lee
DDemocratic
Co
Becca Balint
DDemocratic
Co
C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger
DDemocratic
Co
Daniel S. Goldman
DDemocratic
Co
Delia C. Ramirez
DDemocratic
Co
Diana DeGette
DDemocratic
Co
Eleanor Holmes Norton
DDemocratic
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about HR 2697
Scope: US
Hi! I can help you understand HR 2697. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline