Imagine yourself in a foreign country, you are facing serious charges in Court but no one speaks your language. Sound familiar, Kafka described the metaphysical, absurd, bewildering German and Austrian criminal proceedings of the time in “The Trial”.

According the National Language Access Advocates, “The Immigration Courts run by the Executive Office of Immigration Review (“EOIR”) at the Department of Justice are bound by the language access requirements set out in DOJ’s 2002 Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient (“LEP”) Persons. At a minimum, they must provide competent interpretation for LEP individuals during all courtroom proceedings, and during all critical encounters outside the courtroom. Immigration Courts fall far short of this requirement by failing to provide interpretation for critical encounters, and by providing inaccurate interpretation.” National Language Access Advocates Network (N-LAAN) – 02/02/10.

Several foreign born citizen cannot afford the services of a private interpreter and this can affect communications between client and counsel.

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