Fact check: What rights do immigrants have when attending mandatory court appearances?

1. Summary of the results

Immigrants have several fundamental legal rights during mandatory court appearances, including:

• The right to choose self-representation or legal counsel, though not at government expense ^[1]
• Access to a list of pro bono legal service providers ^[1]
• At least 14 days notice before hearings ^[2]
• The right to appeal Immigration Judge decisions to the Board of Immigration Appeals ^[2]
• The right to be informed of charges against them and have a reasonable opportunity to be present ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several critical contextual elements are missing from the original question:

• Access vs. Rights Gap: While immigrants have the theoretical right to legal representation, approximately 70% lack actual legal representation in immigration court ^[3]
• Appearance Rates Context:
• The majority of immigrants have historically attended their court hearings over the past two decades ^[4]
• Those with legal representation have "nearly perfect" court attendance rates ^[4]
• Asylum seekers specifically show high attendance rates, even without representation ^[4]
• Procedural Protections:
• Hearings can be either public or private based on the immigrant's preference ^[2]
• Various forms of legal relief are available during proceedings ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question's framing could lead to several misconceptions:

1. It implies a simple list of rights, when in reality there's a significant gap between theoretical rights and practical access. While immigrants have the right to representation, they must secure it at their own expense ^[1], leading to a high percentage of unrepresented cases ^[3]

2. The question doesn't acknowledge the systemic issues that affect court appearances. Poor hearing notices, rather than willful non-compliance, can result in removal orders ^[4]

3. The question might suggest that immigrants frequently fail to appear, when data shows that most do attend their hearings, particularly when they have legal representation ^[4]

Those benefiting from these misconceptions might include:

• Private detention facilities that profit from the narrative of flight risk
• Political actors who benefit from portraying immigrants as non-compliant
• Legal service providers who can charge higher fees due to limited pro bono options