Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2026

This bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide lawyers, at government expense, to children who enter the U.S. without a parent or guardian and face removal proceedings, unless the child has hired a lawyer on their own. The lawyer would represent the child through the whole case, even if the child turns 18 or is reunited with family. The bill would allow the government to provide lawyers to other noncitizens in immigration proceedings and would require that noncitizens receive a copy of their immigration file before removal proceedings go forward. It would also require access to counsel for noncitizens held in immigration detention facilities, yearly reports to Congress, and would allow unaccompanied children who were not given a lawyer to reopen their cases without the usual limits.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Zoe Lofgren Democrat sponsor
• 34 cosponsors