Immigrant workers, often their family's only means of support, arrive in the U.S. isolated by language, culture and geography. They face many problems when living in a new country such as exploitation in the workplace, discrimination in host communities, and lack of access to human services. Their immigration status can be used by unscrupulous employers who take advantage of their susceptibility to deportation. They are denied the basic constitutional protections that U.S. citizens take for granted. In some states, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for workman’s compensation and have no recourse against job discrimination. In the past, deportation proceedings used to be a lengthy process, but new Department of Homeland Security rules have streamlined this procedure and in most cases deportations now occur quite rapidly. Advocates say undocumented immigrants should be granted legal rights including representation and due process in immigration hearings involving admissibility, removal and asylum cases, and also in criminal and civil cases that involve parole, bail and child custody.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.3859 - To authorize the Attorney General to appoint 100 additional immigration judges, and for other purposes. (116th Congress 2019-2020)
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Debbie Lesko (AZ)