A New Bill Would Provide Free Legal Representation For Asylum-Seekers Who Need It

As President Donald Trump tightens immigration policies, Democrats are pushing legislation to protect people seeking asylum.

News Story (NATIONAL)

Kadia Goba
BuzzFeed
July 16, 2019
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Tags: Immigration

Organizations mentioned/involved: New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP)


DETAILS

The Equal Justice for Immigrants Act of 2019 would also allow asylum applicants to stay in the country throughout their court proceedings. Under the new $720 million proposal, only US Citizenship and Immigration Services employees would screen applicants, reversing a recent Trump administration decision to train Customs and Border Protection agents to conduct credible-fear interviews.

The bill will be unveiled publicly later Tuesday, a day after the administration doubled down on its attempts to restrict immigration by announcing that the US will end asylum protections for people traveling from South and Central America through Mexico trying to enter the United States. The new regulation would require people to seek asylum in the first country they reach outside of their own, barring asylum for any who enter a third country en route to the US.