Access to Counsel Act

House Bill

H.R. 944

119th Congress

Access to Counsel Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 4, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Gus M. Bilirakis

Representative

Republican

FL-12

Cosponsors

71

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Immigration

Summary

This bill gives certain travelers the right to consult with a lawyer within one hour of being detained for secondary inspection at U.S. ports of entry. It applies to U.S. nationals, permanent residents, visa holders, refugees, and asylees. Counsel may advocate on their behalf during the inspection process.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

SponsorGus M. Bilirakis (R-FL)

Introduced2/4/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Access to Counsel Act

This bill gives certain travelers the right to consult with a lawyer within one hour of being detained for secondary inspection at U.S. ports of entry. It applies to U.S. nationals, permanent residents, visa holders, refugees, and asylees. Counsel may advocate

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill gives certain travelers the right to consult with a lawyer within one hour of being detained for secondary inspection at U.S. ports of entry. It applies to U.S. nationals, permanent residents, visa holders, refugees, and asylees. Counsel may advocate on their behalf during the inspection process.

Bill Number: 944
Sponsor: Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL)
Introduced: 2/4/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Policy Area: Immigration

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Access to Counsel Act
Bill Number: 944
Sponsor: Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced: 2/4/2025
Summary: This bill gives certain travelers the right to consult with a lawyer within one hour of being detained for secondary inspection at U.S. ports of entry. It applies to U.S. nationals, permanent residents, visa holders, refugees, and asylees. Counsel may advocate on their behalf during the inspection p

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill gives certain travelers the right to consult with a lawyer within one hour of being detained for secondary inspection at U.S. ports of entry. It applies to U.S. nationals, permanent residents, visa holders, refugees, and asylees. Counsel may advocate on their behalf during the inspection process.

Last updated: 1/6/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Access to Counsel Act This bill provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Covered individuals include U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) in possession of a visa, returning asylees, and refugees. The Department of Homeland Security must ensure that a covered individual subject to secondary or deferred inspection has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and certain related parties, such as a relative, within an hour of the start of the secondary inspection and as necessary during the inspection process. The counsel and related party must be allowed to advocate on behalf of the covered individual, including by providing evidence and information to the examining immigration officer. A lawful permanent resident subject to secondary or deferred inspection may not abandon lawful permanent resident status until the individual has had a meaningful opportunity to seek advice from counsel, unless the individual voluntarily and knowingly waives in writing this opportunity to seek counsel's advice.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Provides right to counsel within one hour of secondary inspection
Applies to U.S. nationals, permanent residents, and visa holders
Covers refugees and returning asylees
Allows counsel to advocate and provide evidence
Protects permanent residents from pressured status abandonment

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

Travelers held for additional screening at airports and borders could consult a lawyer within an hour. Permanent residents could not be pressured to give up their status without legal advice. Attorneys could actively participate in the inspection process.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Immigration

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

944, 119th Congress (2025). "Access to Counsel Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-944

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