UN body calls for right to counsel in U.S. immigration cases

In a letter sent to the United States, the U.N. Committee to End Racial Discrimination urged the U.S. to guarantee a right to counsel in immigration cases:

The Committee, while taking note of some initiatives adopted by the State party to increase availability of pro bono legal services for immigrants, regrets that in practice many immigrants remain without legal representation throughout the immigration proceedings. The Committee encourages the State party to consider appointing State counsels for immigrants and step up its efforts to facilitate access to free legal aid in all immigration related proceedings.