AP – Newsmax.com

Obama Reverses Bush Rule: Illegals Now Get Lawyers

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has reversed a rule issued in the last days of the Bush administration that said immigrants facing deportation do not have an automatic right to an effective lawyer.

Attorney General Eric Holder says he is vacating the order, issued by predecessor Michael Mukasey, and instructing the Justice Department to study whether a new rule is needed.

Mukasey had issued a 33-page decision in January saying the Constitution does not entitle someone facing deportation to have a case reopened based upon shoddy work by a lawyer. Mukasey said the Justice Department does have the discretion to reopen such cases if it wishes to do so.

Immigrant rights groups had criticized the Mukasey decision.

HERE