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H.R. 5581 116th Congress House

Access to Counsel Act of 2020

Official title: To clarify the rights of all persons who are held or detained at a port of entry or at any detention facility overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To clarify the rights of all persons who are held or detained at a port of entry or at any detention facility overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Introduced: January 10, 2020 Introduced by: Pramila Jayapal Democratic · Washington See on congress.gov
Immigration Administrative remediesBorder security and unlawful immigrationDepartment of Homeland SecurityDetention of persons
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Immigration status and proceduresLawyers and legal servicesRefugees, asylum, displaced personsVisas and passports
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 10 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 5, 2020
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 332.
Mar 5, 2020
Committee on Homeland Security discharged.
Mar 5, 2020
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 116-412, Part I.
Feb 12, 2020
Ordered to be Reported (Amended).
Feb 12, 2020
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Feb 11, 2020
Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship Discharged.
Jan 28, 2020
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
Jan 17, 2020
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.
Jan 10, 2020
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jan 10, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Latest action March 5, 2020

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 332.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Access to Counsel Act of 2020

This bill provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Covered individuals include U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, aliens in possession of a visa, and refugees.

The Department of Homeland Security shall ensure that a covered individual subject to secondary or deferred inspection has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and certain related parties, such as a relative, within an hour of the start of the secondary inspection and as necessary during the inspection process. The counsel and related party shall be allowed to advocate on behalf of the covered individual, including by providing evidence and information to the examining immigration officer.

A lawful permanent resident subject to secondary or deferred inspection may not abandon lawful permanent resident status until the individual has had a reasonable opportunity to seek advice from counsel, unless the individual voluntarily and knowingly waives in writing this opportunity to seek counsel's advice.

 Related & companion bills 3
  • HR 1006 Reintroduction of To clarify the rights of all persons who are held or detained at a port of entry or at any detention facility overseen …
  • S 2219 A bill to clarify the rights of all persons who are held or detained at a port of entry or at any detention facility ov…
  • HR 2486 FUTURE Act
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 50
All 50 Democratic 30
Kennedy, Joseph
· Feb 18, 2020
Lowenthal, Alan
· Feb 18, 2020
 D
Correa, J. Luis
California · Feb 13, 2020
 D
DeLauro, Rosa L.
Connecticut · Feb 13, 2020
 D
Garcia, Sylvia R.
Texas · Feb 13, 2020
LEWIS, JOHN
· Feb 13, 2020
 D
Lieu, Ted
California · Feb 13, 2020
Murphy, Stephanie
· Feb 13, 2020
 D
Scanlon, Mary Gay
Pennsylvania · Feb 13, 2020
 D
Espaillat, Adriano
New York · Feb 11, 2020
 D
Escobar, Veronica
Texas · Feb 10, 2020
 D
Pocan, Mark
Wisconsin · Feb 10, 2020
Cicilline, David
· Feb 7, 2020
ENGEL, ELIOT
· Feb 5, 2020
 D
Gallego, Ruben
Arizona · Feb 5, 2020
Kildee, Daniel
· Feb 5, 2020
Lee, Barbara
· Feb 5, 2020
Levin, Andy
· Feb 5, 2020
 D
Khanna, Ro
California · Feb 4, 2020
 D
Pressley, Ayanna
Massachusetts · Feb 3, 2020
 D
Connolly, Gerald E.
Virginia · Jan 30, 2020
 D
Grijalva, Raúl M.
Arizona · Jan 30, 2020
HASTINGS, ALCEE
· Jan 30, 2020
Napolitano, Grace
· Jan 30, 2020
 D
Barragán, Nanette Diaz
California · Jan 27, 2020
 D
García, Jesús G. "Chuy"
Illinois · Jan 27, 2020
Blumenauer, Earl
· Jan 17, 2020
Eshoo, Anna
· Jan 15, 2020
 D
Larsen, Rick
Washington · Jan 15, 2020
 D
Bonamici, Suzanne
Oregon · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Chu, Judy
California · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Clarke, Yvette D.
New York · Jan 10, 2020
Deutch, Theodore
· Jan 10, 2020
 D
Johnson, Henry C. "Hank"
Georgia · Jan 10, 2020
Kilmer, Derek
· Jan 10, 2020
 D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Jan 10, 2020
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Quigley, Mike
Illinois · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Raskin, Jamie
Maryland · Jan 10, 2020
ROYBAL-ALLARD, LUCILLE
· Jan 10, 2020
RUSH, BOBBY
· Jan 10, 2020
 D
Schakowsky, Janice D.
Illinois · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Schiff, Adam B.
California · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Schneider, Bradley Scott
Illinois · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Smith, Adam
Washington · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Swalwell, Eric
California · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Florida · Jan 10, 2020
 D
Watson Coleman, Bonnie
New Jersey · Jan 10, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5581: Access to Counsel Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5581/
MLA
"H.R. 5581: Access to Counsel Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5581/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5581, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5581/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5581: Access to Counsel Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-5581/)
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