What struck me the most as a new immigration attorney a few years ago was the fact that there is no right to a government appointed attorney in immigration proceedings. Immigration court and criminal court are completely different. In criminal court a defendant has the right to a free attorney if he/she cannot afford one. No body questions that right, it's a given, its due process.
However in immigration there is no such right, there are no public defenders. If a person cannot afford an immigration attorney, their only option is to represent themselves. Immigration law is very complex and someone who might have a good option to fight their case can lose solely because they didn't have enough money to hire an attorney. That in my opinion is shameful and goes against everything that is just. There is so much at stake in an immigration case, it's time for this to change!
However in immigration there is no such right, there are no public defenders. If a person cannot afford an immigration attorney, their only option is to represent themselves. Immigration law is very complex and someone who might have a good option to fight their case can lose solely because they didn't have enough money to hire an attorney. That in my opinion is shameful and goes against everything that is just. There is so much at stake in an immigration case, it's time for this to change!
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