FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2026
CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org
WASHINGTON —The Acacia Center for Justice welcomes the introduction of the Fairness to Freedom Act. This bicameral legislation would establish a federally funded right to legal representation for individuals who cannot afford counsel in immigration proceedings. The right to representation is a cornerstone to our rule of law, and the immigration system should be no exception. The bill would guarantee access to continuous, high-quality legal representation for people facing deportation and create a nationwide system to ensure counsel is available regardless of a person’s financial means.
This legislation arrives in the wake of the dismantlement of vital federally funded legal access programs and amidst unceasing and expansive efforts to arrest, detain, and deportcommunity members across the country. Just last week, the government allowed legal services for unaccompanied children to expire with no coherent transition in place, leaving thousands of exceptionally vulnerable children without trusted representation to face highly complex, life-altering legal proceedings alone. Legislation like the Fairness to Freedom Act would protect children like this from a deportation agenda that seeks to strip them of their due process rights and a fair day in court.
Lillie Hinkle, Acacia’s Manager of Federal Policy, welcomed the introduction and said:
“ With families being separated by immigration enforcement operations at record speed, an unprecedented number of people are being thrust into immigration proceedings alone simply because they cannot afford or access an attorney. A system that deprives people of representation as they navigate incredibly complicated, sometimes life and death legal proceedings is a system that is rigged by design. The Fairness to Freedom Act recognizes that access to legal representation is fundamental to a functioning immigration system and fair adjudication.
We are grateful to Senator Schiff (D-CA), Representative Torres (D-CA), and the bill’s cosponsors for advancing legislation that recognizes legal representation in adverse proceedings is a right to us all, not a luxury of few. Acacia looks forward to working with Congress and our partners to ensure that every family, every child, every person has meaningful access to counsel, no matter what, as they navigate a system that changes lives forever.”
###
###