Arizona’s Mark Kelly is among a group of U.S. senators demanding that the Department of Justice rehires staff to run a program that lets volunteers who aren’t attorneys provide legal support to immigrants.
In a Sept. 2 letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, the senators cited a CBS News report that found there are only two employees left in the Recognition and Accreditation Program following heavy staff cuts from the Trump administration, and neither of those employees can approve new applications.
That limits the number of non-lawyers who can give legal assistance to immigrants.
"As more individuals go through the immigration process without legal representation and as more nonprofits seek to step up and support their community by applying for accreditation, it is imperative that the R&A Program is properly staffed and is able to process new applications allowing more authorized non-attorneys and nonprofit organizations to provide quality legal assistance to our nation’s most vulnerable immigrants," the senators wrote.
They are asking the DOJ to "undo" the staff cuts, arguing without accredited advocates, immigrants have less access to legitimate representation.
The senators also noted that unaccredited fraudsters sometimes charge high fees to immigrants, but provide inaccurate legal advice, in what’s known as "notario" fraud.
They wrote the program also helps immigrants avoid those schemes.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review houses the Recognition and Accreditation Program and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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