Reps. Foster, Ramirez Introduce Legislation to Protect Due Process Rights for Immigrants

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL) introduced the Know Your Rights Act. The legislation would directly address due process violations that occur in immigration detention facilities.

Each day, countless immigrants are placed into detention without full knowledge of why they're there or what their rights are. The Department of Justice (DOJ) created legal orientation programs (LOPs) to educate people detained in removal proceedings about their rights and the immigration process generally. Yet, there is currently no mandate requiring detention centers or jails that house immigration detainees to provide immigrants with this information.

The Know Your Rights Act would require the U.S. Attorney General, with the assistance of non-governmental organizations, to develop and deploy a plan to have an operational LOP program in every detention center and jail that houses immigrants within a year of enactment. It would also require this orientation and legal notice of rights to be available in English and the five most common languages of detainees held at the facility. This will enable immigrants to better understand why they've been placed in detention and the legal rights afforded to them.

"In Illinois, we witnessed chaos and fear rip through our communities as ICE carried out Operation Midway Blitz," said Congressman Foster. "Countless members of our community have been detained without knowledge of why they are being held or what their legal rights are. It is a betrayal of American values that this is happening. I am proud to work with Congresswoman Ramirez on this commonsense measure to ensure that every immigrant being held in a detention center-man, woman, or child-receives appropriate legal assistance in accordance with due process protections."

"During a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, a detained woman seeking asylum looked at me through glass and begged me for help. I can't forget that moment. Every day, thousands of immigrants, like this woman, are being detained without access to legal representation or information about their rights. That is unacceptable," said Congresswoman Ramirez. "Due process is a constitutional right that all people are entitled to, including immigrants. We must do everything in our power to ensure our constitutional and civil rights are protected. I am proud to join Congressman Bill Foster in introducing the Know Your Rights Act, to ensure that every migrant in a detention center, including the women and children behind glass windows, receive the legal help to which they are entitled."

The Know Your Rights Act is cosponsored by Reps. Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).

A copy of the legislation is available here.

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