§ 3503 : OFFICE OF LEGAL ACCESS PROGRAMS

ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF LEGAL ACCESS PROGRAMS.—The Attorney General shall maintain within the Executive Office for Immigration Review an Office of Legal Access Programs to develop and administer a system of legal orientation programs to make immigration proceedings more efficient and cost effective by educating aliens regarding administrative procedures and legal rights under United States immigration law and to establish other programs to assist in providing aliens access to legal information.

LEGAL ORIENTATION PROGRAMS.—The legal orientation programs—

1.

shall provide programs to assist detained aliens in making informed and timely decisions regarding their removal and eligibility for relief from removal in order to increase efficiency and reduce costs in immigration proceedings and Federal custody processes and to improve access to counsel and other legal services;

2.

may provide services to detained aliens in immigration proceedings under sections 235,238,240, and 241(a)(5)of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225, 1228, 1229a, and 1231(a)(5)) and to other aliens in immigration and asylum proceedings under sections 235,238, and 240of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225, 1228, and 1229a); and

3.

shall identify unaccompanied alien children, aliens with a serious mental disability, and other particularly vulnerable aliens for consideration by the Attorney General pursuant to section 292(c)of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as added by section 3502(c).

PROCEDURES.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall establish procedures that ensure that legal orientation programs are available for all detained aliens within 5 days of arrival into custody and to inform such aliens of the basic procedures of immigration hearings, their rights relating to those hearings under the immigration laws, information that may deter such aliens from filing frivolous legal claims, and any other information deemed appropriate by the Attorney General, such as a contact list of potential legal resources and providers.

RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to create any substantive or procedural right or benefit that is legally enforceable by any party against the United States or its agencies or officers or any other person.

FUNDING.—There shall be appropriated, from the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Trust Fund established under section 6(a)(1), such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.