National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

07/08/2026

The would guarantee a lawyer for every person facing deportation—including those detained in overcrowded and inhumane detention centers.
Due process is a fundamental constitutional right, and no one should have to defend their freedom alone.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: [email protected] WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Senator Adam Schiff (CA) reintroduced the Fairness to Freedom Act—landmark…

31/07/2026

We talked to Talking Points about the necessity of attorneys in immigration proceedings, a type of civil case often called second only to the tax code in complexity, not to mention the devastation it wreaks on immigrant families. This article does a great job delving into the chaos that is the modern immigration court.

When I walked up to 290 Broadway early on a late June...

20/07/2026

The legal community knows what it means to face a complex immigration system without representation. For unaccompanied children — some too young to speak for themselves and many for whom English is not their first language — navigating immigration court alone against trained government attorneys is not just daunting. It is nearly impossible. For nearly two decades, this country kept a bipartisan commitment to stand beside these children in court. The Trump administration is ending that commitment by refusing to pay for it. We are calling on the administration to honor the law, pay what it owes, and keep these children represented. Protect

Immigration rights experts worry that the recent inquiry is the latest sign Trump is interested in transferring unaccompanied minors to the state, where it is easier to quickly deport them.

03/05/2026

If you've not heard of "shadow foster care", it's the problem where parents facing a child welfare investigation are pressured to "voluntarily" put their children in foster care, thus avoiding a formal child welfare proceeding. Such proceedings are a double edged sword: they can lead to a formal finding of neglect (which has negative consequences) but also have due process protections missing at the pre-filing stage, such as the right to counsel. This report by the Texas Children's Commission looks at the critical issue of representation for “Texas children and families who are at risk of involvement with the Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS).” The report is based on a survey of “judges, attorneys who represent parents and children, attorneys who represent DFPS/Single Source Continuum Contractors (SSCC), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), DFPS/SSCC staff, service providers, and others with knowledge of the Texas child welfare system.” The report looks at the different types of pre-petition representation, models of delivery, and current availability of such services.

03/05/2026

Congrats to advocates in Columbus, who have fought for and are getting $1.5 million for the Columbus tenant RTC program!

Columbus leaders are preparing to direct more than $2.8 million in city funding to agencies and programs aimed at keeping residents in their homes as housing pr

03/05/2026

This piece points to rising housing costs and eviction filings, as well as Trump Administration policies that have inflated the eviction numbers and state preemption policies, as increasing the need for tenant protections. As our Coordinator notes in the article, “Cities and states lose when people are evicted in a way that’s preventable.” It then highlights the success of TRTC policies across the country, including the way they have changed the court systems themselves. The article goes on to discuss other helpful reforms, such as eviction moratoria, court watch programs, specialized courts, and eviction diversion programs.

Preventing unnecessary evictions is more important than ever for local governments. Here are some of the approaches being tried.

02/05/2026

This new policy brief from the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt Peabody College finds that the data shows tenant RTC is a “promising policy to improve child and family outcomes”, highlighting the disproportionate eviction rates of families with children and DV victims as well as the poor outcomes for unrepresented tenants. The report notes that “Households facing eviction are at heightened risk of homelessness, long-term housing instability, financial strain, food insecurity, and adverse birth outcomes, and then points to the positive data from RTC jurisdictions.

02/05/2026

Nashville's tenant RTC campaign continues to grow! The latest report shows the TRTC pilot program has saved the City $4 million and the Mayor has pledged $2.4 million. Time to codify and make Nashville the 28th TRTC jurisdiction!

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell filed the proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year Friday.

02/05/2026

The latest episode of The Bells I Hear podcast explores how the lack of representation for tenants increases housing stability & homelessness. It features our Coordinator, ABA Commission on Homelessness & Poverty, and Mentor a Promise!

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