An Illinois Bill Will Allow Public Defenders to Represent Immigrants Facing Deportation
A bill passed Monday by the Illinois General Assembly would allow the Cook County public defender’s office to represent immigrants at the Chicago Immigration Court, a step that advocates said will help more immigrants in the county avoid deportation.
Unlike criminal defendants, immigrants facing deportation don’t have the right to a government-appointed attorney. The Cook County public defender’s office created an immigration unit last year to represent immigrants in immigration court, but it needed authorization from the state legislature to do so.
The bill, HB 2790, passed the state Senate 36 to 18, along party lines, after passing the House last month. The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk. A spokesperson for the governor said he “looks forward to reviewing the bill.”
