CA SR89

Urges the federal government to provide government-funded attorneys trained in immigration law to all indigent immigrant children facing deportation proceedings to ensure due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.

Requests the federal government restructure immigration court dockets to prioritize cases of represented children and halt cases against unrepresented children until legal counsel is available.

Cites data showing unrepresented children are ordered deported in 86 percent of cases compared to 16 percent for represented children, and fail to appear in court in 75 percent of cases versus 3 percent with representation.

Notes California has over 13,800 unrepresented children in immigration court and has invested $3 million annually to provide legal representation through previous legislation including Senate Bill 873 and Assembly Bill 900.

Directs the Senate Secretary to transmit the resolution to federal congressional leaders and California's representatives in Congress.