SHIELD Act Securing Help for Immigrants through Education and Legal Development Act
Impact
The bill emphasizes the need for enhanced legal services infrastructures, underscoring that, unlike the criminal legal system, there is currently no right to government-funded representation available for individuals in deportation cases. This lack of legal support leads to significantly adverse outcomes for those who navigate the system without adequate legal counsel. HB8980 seeks to mitigate these disparities by providing federal funding aimed at fostering a robust legal support system at local levels, which, according to studies cited in the bill, is associated with improved case outcomes for immigrants.
Summary
House Bill 8980, also known as the Securing Help for Immigrants through Education and Legal Development Act (SHIELD Act), is designed to authorize the Attorney General to provide grants to states and local governments to support the infrastructure required for legal representation for individuals facing deportation. It aims to facilitate the recruitment, training, and development of legal staff and resources critical for ensuring due process rights for these individuals. As a legislative initiative, HB8980 seeks to address the current gaps in representation that disproportionately affect immigrants, particularly in complex legal proceedings related to deportation.
Contention
Notable points of contention surrounding HB8980 involve debates regarding immigration policy and the provision of public funding to support a legal defense for immigrants facing deportation. Supporters assert that such funding is vital in ensuring equitable treatment within the legal system and that it will ultimately strengthen communities. However, opponents may raise concerns over the allocation of federal resources towards immigration defense, arguing that it could incentivize unlawful immigration, thus impacting broader immigration enforcement efforts.
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the plight of Cameroonian immigrants and the continued turmoil and instability in the nation of Cameroon merits a designation of humanitarian parole and calling on the Department of Homeland Security to create a humanitarian parole program for Cameroonians fleeing this violence.
Expressing the sense of Congress that wrongfully or unjustly deported people who have established significant ties through years of life in the United States deserve a chance to come home to reunite with loved ones through a fair and central process within the Department of Homeland Security.
Ending Scam Credit Repair Act or the ESCRA ActThis bill revises the Credit Repair Organizations Act and creates additional requirements for credit repair organizations (CROs).Under current law, it is illegal for a person (including a CRO) to make false or misleading statements regarding a consumer’s creditworthiness or standing to a consumer reporting agency or to a consumer credit provider. The bill additionally prohibits making such statements to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, or law enforcement. To be subject to this prohibition, the bill also requires such statements to be made knowingly.The bill also revises CRO obligations to consumers. A CRO is prohibited from charging a consumer for a service (e.g., getting inaccurate information removed from a credit report) until the CRO provides proof of success not less than six months after providing the service. The bill also requires additional disclosures to consumers, requires the retention of any recorded telephone calls, and increases the time records must be retained from two to five years. In addition, consumers must be given copies of all communications sent on their behalf.Under the bill, all persons must be licensed by a state to act as a CRO. The bill also restricts a CRO’s ability to submit multiple credit disputes regarding the same information.The bill also sets a minimum liability amount for damages of $500 for each violation of the Credit Repair Organizations Act.