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 Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, along with Attorney General
Kamala Harris and the leaders of both houses of the legislature,
said they planned to submit legislation authorizing the expenditure
to help children who have been streaming over borders in Southwest
states since last fall.
The move follows prior advocacy by Harris, who had personally asked
some of the state's leading law firms to provide pro-bono
representation for the children, many of whom are fleeing violence
and poverty in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
"These young people have legal rights and responsibilities, but they
cannot fully participate in complex immigration proceedings without
an attorney, said Harris said Thursday. It is critical that these
children, many of whom are fleeing extreme violence in Central
America, have access to due process and adequate legal
representation.
Central American children began flooding the border at crossing
points in Texas earlier this year, overwhelming local officials and
leading the federal government to send thousands to other states for
processing.
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By the end of June, about 3,000 of the children had been sent to
California, and more have come since.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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