HR 2697 United States House · 118th Congress

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
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Total actions
2
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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

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