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H.R. 666House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Access to Counsel Act

Sponsored by Pramila JayapalRep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
Introduced January 31, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 2:50 AM UTC

The Access to Counsel Act requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to give people detained at ports of entry or in secondary/deferred inspection a real chance to talk with a lawyer or other trusted person. It applies to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents returning from abroad, visa‑holding immigrants and non‑immigrants, refugees, asylees, and certain parolees. The law sets timing, communication, and participation rules for counsel during the inspection process.

Key Provisions

  • Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide a covered individual a meaningful opportunity to consult counsel (including by phone) within one hour of secondary inspection and throughout the inspection, including deferred inspection.
  • Allows counsel and interested parties to give information, documents, and evidence to the immigration officer and, when practicable, to appear in person at the inspection site.
  • Adds a special rule for lawful permanent residents: DHS cannot accept a Form I‑407 abandoning residency without first offering a chance to seek counsel, unless the resident knowingly and voluntarily waives that right in writing.
  • Defines “covered individual” to include U.S. nationals, returning lawful permanent residents, visa‑holding immigrants and non‑immigrants, refugees, returning asylees, and parolees approved under section 212(d)(5)(A).
  • Provides definitions for “counsel” (attorneys in good standing or accredited representatives) and “interested party” (relatives, petitioners/sponsors, or other connected persons or organizations).
  • Specifies the amendment takes effect 180 days after enactment and includes a savings clause preserving existing rights to counsel under other immigration statutes.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

January 31, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 31, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

January 31, 2023

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 666 on the floor

1 Republican
Monica De La Cruz
Rep. Monica De La CruzR-TX-15 · Sep 12, 2023

Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions, as follows: H.R. 16: Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Casten, Mr. Casar, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Caraveo, and Mr. Sablan. H.R.…

Record

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 31, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 666

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 31, 2023

Ms. Jayapal (for herself, Mr. Auchincloss, Ms. Barragán, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Carson, Mr. Casten, Ms. Chu, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. García of Illinois, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Nadler, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Norton, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To clarify the rights of certain persons who are held or detained at a port of entry or at any facility overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Access to Counsel Act.

2.

Access to counsel and other assistance at ports of entry and during deferred inspection

(a)

Access to counsel and other assistance during inspection

Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(e)

Access to counsel and other assistance during inspection at ports of entry and during deferred inspection

(1)

In general

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that a covered individual has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and an interested party during the inspection process.

(2)

Scope of assistance

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall—

(A)

provide the covered individual a meaningful opportunity to consult (including consultation via telephone) with counsel and an interested party not later than one hour after the secondary inspection process commences and as necessary throughout the remainder of the inspection process, including, as applicable, during deferred inspection;

(B)

allow counsel and an interested party to advocate on behalf of the covered individual, including by providing to the examining immigration officer information, documentation, and other evidence in support of the covered individual; and

(C)

to the greatest extent practicable, accommodate a request by the covered individual for counsel or an interested party to appear in-person at the secondary or deferred inspection site.

(3)

Special rule for lawful permanent residents

(A)

In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary of Homeland Security may not accept a Form I–407 Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status (or a successor form) from a lawful permanent resident subject to secondary or deferred inspection without first providing such lawful permanent resident a meaningful opportunity to seek advice from counsel.

(B)

Exception

The Secretary of Homeland Security may accept Form I–407 Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status (or a successor form) from a lawful permanent resident subject to secondary or deferred inspection if such lawful permanent resident knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waives, in writing, the opportunity to seek advice from counsel.

(4)

Definitions

In this section:

(A)

Counsel

The term counsel means—

(i)

an attorney who is a member in good standing of the bar of any State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or a possession of the United States and is not under an order suspending, enjoining, restraining, disbarring, or otherwise restricting the attorney in the practice of law; or

(ii)

an individual accredited by the Attorney General, acting as a representative of an organization recognized by the Executive Office for Immigration Review, to represent a covered individual in immigration matters.

(B)

Covered individual

The term covered individual means an individual subject to secondary or deferred inspection who is—

(i)

a national of the United States;

(ii)

an immigrant, lawfully admitted for permanent residence, who is returning from a temporary visit abroad;

(iii)

an alien seeking admission as an immigrant in possession of a valid unexpired immigrant visa;

(iv)

an alien seeking admission as a nonimmigrant in possession of a valid unexpired nonimmigrant visa;

(v)

a refugee;

(vi)

a returning asylee; or

(vii)

an alien who has been approved for parole under section 212(d)(5)(A), including an alien who is returning to the United States in possession of a valid advance parole document.

(C)

Interested party

The term interested party means—

(i)

a relative of the covered individual;

(ii)

in the case of a covered individual to whom an immigrant or a nonimmigrant visa has been issued, the petitioner or sponsor thereof (including an agent of such petitioner or sponsor); or

(iii)

a person, organization, or entity in the United States with a bona fide connection to the covered individual.

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c)

Savings provision

Nothing in this Act, or in any amendment made by this Act, may be construed to limit a right to counsel or any right to appointed counsel under—

(1)

section 240(b)(4)(A) (8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(4)(A));

(2)

section 292 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1362); or

(3)

any other provision of law, including any final court order securing such rights,

as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.