Chairman Becerra: with New Bill, Young Children Who Come to this Country Alone Will Know Their Rights And Receive Help of a Lawyer

Statement

Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34) released a statement after he signed on as an original co-sponsor of "The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2016," legislation that will protect children and other vulnerable groups in immigration proceedings:

"Every person deserves a fair hearing, and the young unaccompanied children fleeing for their lives in Central America should receive due process to tell their stories. With today's bill, young children and vulnerable people who come to this country alone will know their rights and receive the help of a lawyer to navigate our court system. In the Los Angeles immigration court, one of the busiest in the United States, 79% of women and children who were ordered to be deported between July 2014 and December 2015 did not have legal representation. It's clear that our current immigration system is broken and many children and vulnerable people who seek to come to our country are put at great peril. Speaker Ryan, I call on you to act."

Source