Hope for a Civil Gideon? Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder and Access to Justice for Immigrant Detainees
In April 2013, Judge Dolly Gee of the Central District of California ruled in Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder that immigration courts in Arizona, California, and Washington must provide legal representation to certain immigrants with mental disabilities who face deportation. This unprecedented case raises questions that have accompanied other judicial decisions that have involved sweeping reforms to the court system: What can lawyers do to ensure that the district court’s ruling is implemented effectively? Given that there is no public defender-type office for immigration courts, who will provide the representation? What steps can be taken to ensure that this class of immigrants has access to competent, adequate counsel? This panel will feature perspectives from those involved in litigating and implementing the Franco decision to ensure that immigrants with serious mental disabilities have access to justice in deportation hearings.
More information is available at http://www.acslaw.org/BayAreaCivilGideon.
