Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and 13 of her colleagues in introducing the Access to Counsel Act to ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status can consult with an attorney, relative, or other relevant party to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at a port of entry, including an airport. The bill was introduced in conjunction with the NO BAN Act, legislation to prevent another Muslim Ban.
“During the first Trump administration, we saw hundreds of travelers with valid visas and legal documents be detained without any way to contact family members or their lawyers,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This legislation would ensure that citizens, students, green card holders, and other lawful immigrants aren’t denied their right to an attorney.”
The previous Muslim Ban in Trump’s first term unleashed chaos at airports and ports of entry across the country. People from Muslim-majority countries, with lawful permission to enter, were detained for hours without food or water before being deported. These individuals were often pressured to sign documents that amounted to them giving up their legal status. In many cases, these individuals had no opportunity to see an attorney or call anyone for legal guidance. Since then, there have been numerous instances of individual lawfully entering the U.S. being denied access to legal counsel despite having valid visas.
Specifically, the Access to Counsel Act would require the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that people with valid travel documents who present themselves at the border, airports, or other points of interaction can communicate with counsel and other interested parties if they are subjected to prolonged inspection by CBP.
The first and only Latina senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported immigrant communities in Nevada, calling onboth administrations to protect TPS holders and other immigrants, as well as leading commonsense legislation to fix our broken immigration system. She has worked to pass meaningful immigration reform that balances critical border security measures with a path to citizenshipfor Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers, and she’s pushed legislation to allow Dreamers and TPS holders to work in Congress.