# 119-s-5324: Fairness to Freedom Act of 2026

119-s-5324, Fairness to Freedom Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA); status introduced (as of 2026-08-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5324
- As of: 2026-08-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5324
- Congress: 119
- Title: Fairness to Freedom Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-21

## Summary

**This bill would create a government-funded right to counsel in immigration proceedings** for people who cannot afford lawyers, and would set up an independent nonprofit Office of Immigration Representation to deliver and oversee that counsel. - Families and low-income people: Low-income individuals and families with income at or below 200 percent of the poverty line could get a government-appointed lawyer for removal, bond, expedited removal, asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and related proceedings. - Detained people and ports of entry: Detained people must get counsel within 24 hours and must have confidential access, including at ports of entry where meetings are required within 12 hours. Statements made before timely access to counsel are generally inadmissible unless counsel moves otherwise. - Local legal system and providers: Establishes an independent nonprofit Office with a national Board, local boards, a Director, Immigration Public Defender Organizations, community defender contracts, and a panel attorney system. It authorizes funding and sets a minimum funding mechanism tied to enforcement and prosecution budgets.

## Cosponsors (8)

- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Free immigration lawyers for eligible people: benefit, high. If enacted, you would be able to get a government-paid lawyer in many removal, bond, expedited removal, and related immigration cases if you cannot afford one. You would be eligible if your family income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, or if net resources show you cannot pay. The r…
- New national office and local defenders: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would create the Office of Immigration Representation as an independent nonprofit to run a nationwide system of appointed counsel. A 24-member Board would be appointed within one year, and the Office would set up regional Local Boards and Local Plans within months to run panels…
- Paid experts, investigators, and supports: benefit, medium. If enacted, your appointed lawyer could get paid investigators, expert witnesses, interpreters, and social supports needed for effective representation. Counsel could ask a Local Board to approve these services, and in emergencies lawyers could obtain services first and have the board review later.…
- Pay rules and reimbursements for lawyers: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Office would set regional hourly rates and salaries for appointed lawyers, aiming for pay comparable to local ICE or government attorneys. The Office could add extra pay for remote and underserved areas and reimburse reasonable case expenses like interpreters and investigators. Loca…
- Guaranteed funding tied to enforcement: benefit, medium. If enacted, OMB would compute a yearly "prosecution-defense" ratio using the most recently concluded fiscal year. That ratio would set a minimum appropriation share for the Office of Immigration Representation from the combined current-year enforcement and prosecution budgets. The Office would rece…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-4540: Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5324 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5324)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-4540: Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4540)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5324 (as of 2026-08-21).