Congress·In Committee·H.R. 3127

Rep. Torres Introduces Fairness to Freedom Act to Guarantee Lawyers for People Facing Deportation

Fairness to Freedom Act of 2025

11 months ago·View on Congress.gov

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill would create a right to a government-paid lawyer for people facing deportation who cannot afford one. Currently, unlike in criminal court, the government is not required to provide a lawyer for people in immigration cases, even for children or those in detention.
The plan would help anyone whose family income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. This includes adults in detention centers, children traveling alone, and people who have recently arrived at the border.
A new independent group called the Office of Immigration Representation would be set up to run the program. It would hire public defenders and manage private lawyers to make sure everyone gets a fair hearing without interference from other government agencies.
Under these rules, immigration legal cases would have to pause until a lawyer is assigned. The government would also be required to give the person’s lawyer all the files and documents related to their case at least 10 days before any hearings begin.
The bill links funding for these lawyers to the amount of money spent on immigration enforcement. This means that if the government increases spending on arresting and prosecuting immigrants, it must also increase the budget for their legal defense.

ImmigrationCriminal JusticeCivil Rights

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Apr 30, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Apr 30, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

3 articles

The Hill·almost 2 years ago

Over 100 Immigrant Rights Organizations Urge Congress to Fund Legal Representation for People Facing Deportation

Advocates are calling for the passage of the Fairness to Freedom Act to establish a federal right to representation for all immigrants facing deportation, noting that over 1.3 million people currently lack counsel in immigration court.

Washington Post·3 months ago

Everyone deserves legal representation

Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Torres and Jayapal, defend the Fairness to Freedom Act as a necessary tool to counter the Trump administration's mass deportation goals and ensure due process in immigration proceedings.

CL+

Insider NJ·over 1 year ago

NJ Prepares to Defend Against Trump’s Mass Deportation Agenda

Immigrant advocates in New Jersey are urging the federal government to implement protections like the Fairness to Freedom Act to safeguard residents from forcible deportation and ensure fair hearings.