Detained when you enter the United States? Congressional bill could provide legal help
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert
ENTERING THE COUNTRY LEGALLY? BILL WOULD MAKE SURE YOU HAD LEGAL PROTECTION
You’ve arrived in the United States legally, but you’re detained by Customers and Border Protection for more than an hour.
You need help.
Congressional Democrats are pushing legislation that would assure anyone coming into the country legally they get help from a lawyer, relative or someone else who could help.
The Access to Counsel Act is sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee.
He said Tuesday the bill “would prevent CBP from blocking non-citizens it has detained with lawful permission to be in the United States from calling a lawyer or a trusted contact.”
The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to make sure that anyone with valid travel documents and presents themselves at “the border, airports, or other points of interaction can communicate with counsel and other interested parties if they are subjected to prolonged inspection by CBP.”
It also would “invalidate any effort by CBP to persuade someone to relinquish their legal status if that person has been denied access to counsel.”
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is also a co-sponsor.
The bill needs approval from the Republican-led Congress and President Donald Trump. There was no word from Republicans Tuesday on its prospects.
Via Nicole Nixon:
2026 GOV’S RACE: WHO’S RAISING THE MOST?
California voters won’t choose a new governor until 2026, but a handful of candidates got an early jump on building up their war chests in 2024 to campaign for the state’s highest office.
The open seat — Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and can’t run again — has drawn early interest from Democrats including Lt. Govv. Eleni Kounalakis, former state Senate leader Toni Atkins, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Controller Betty Yee, state schools boss Tony Thurmond, and former timeshare CEO Stephen Cloobeck.
Kounalakis began 2025 with more than $4.7 million, the largest campaign account of the declared candidates. She raised more than $1.8 million in 2024 after announcing her campaign in early 2023.
Atkins raised more than $2.3 million last year and transferred roughly $2.5 million left over from previous campaign accounts. After spending about $753,000 last year, the San Diego former lawmaker has more than $4 million on-hand.
Villaraigosa raised more than $3.1 million since announcing his campaign last July; Yee raised more than $1.5 million; Cloobeck gave his campaign $3 million and raised $385,000; and Thurmond raised $540,000.
Other potential gubernatorial candidates have decent piles of cash on-hand if they decide to jump into the race.
Attorney General Rob Bonta raised $2 million in 2024 and has nearly $6 million on-hand. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has $1.7 million left over from her presidential campaign. Ex-HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Rep. Katie Porter each have more than $1.4 million in campaign accounts.
A “friends of” committee for Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has nearly $600,000 in it..
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“No one can make heads or tails out of what Donald Trump did or why, or thinks it makes any sense whatsoever. — Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” talking the president’s boast that he helped more water flow to areas of California.
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▪ Home prices are rising in California. Here’s where you can find houses as low as $237,000. By Kendrick Marshall.
▪ Exclusive: Sacramento mayoral candidate Flo Cofer details alleged bribery call, by Joe Rubin.
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