New York Times by Sam Dolnick
More than two years ago, a federal judge in New York began a crusade to find lawyers for the many immigrants who are detained or deported because they lack representation. Powerful figures, including Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, heard the call and helped draw attention to the issue.
But the problem persists in immigration court, where defendants have no right to a court-appointed lawyer, forcing many to go without and drastically raising their chances of being deported. Although Mr. Bloomberg promised $2 million to train lawyers in immigration issues, the city has not produced the money.
On Tuesday, about 200 leaders from legal, governmental and immigration circles gathered in Manhattan to discuss the barriers that deny many immigrants proper legal counsel. Robert A. Katzmann, the federal judge who started the effort and organized the symposium, called the problem a “substantial threat to the fair and effective administration of justice.”
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