The 89th Texas Legislature is considering HB 1554/SB 1005, an attack on due process and local control. HB 1554/SB 1005 would ban local governments from using public funds to provide legal services to non-citizens in immigration matters, even when they face life-altering consequences and cannot afford a lawyer. The bill would also upend the immigration clinics through which universities provide legal representation to immigrants.
Texas localities have established immigrant legal defense fund programs in the last five years to help protect individuals and families who had strong claims for legal relief, but who were at risk of deportation merely because they could not afford an attorney. These funds ensure that immigrants have a fair chance to defend their rights and help keep families together by letting people fight their immigration cases while living with their loved ones and contributing to the Texas economy and/or ultimately winning the right to remain in the United States.
The IJ roundtable, composed of 71 former Immigration Judges and former Board Members and Appellate Immigration Judges of the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a letter highlighting their concerns about HB 1554 and the importance of having legal counsel in immigration proceedings.
Please see the attached letter.