The Republican-led House has shot down — for yet another time — the Justice Department’s request for money to pay for lawyers to represent and defend the scores of illegal minor-age immigrants who’ve poured into the United States in recent months.
More than 40 percent of the illegals have been processed absent legal representation, Politico reported.
The Justice Department is already being sued in federal court in Seattle by six child plaintiffs — illegals from Guatemala and el Salvador — who say their processing was unfair because they didn’t have access to tax paid attorneys, Politico reported.
As such, Attorney General Eric Holder has been petitioning for taxpayer dollars to be used to hire attorneys for the illegals, but Republicans have so far said no, Politico reported.
Republicans removed all funding for attorneys for illegals in their most recent spending bill on Aug. 1, Politico said.
And just a few days ago, Rep. Frank Wolf refused a request from the Justice Department to allow $4 million from a $13.2 million transfer to legal programs to be used to pay for attorneys for the illegal minor-age immigrants, Politico reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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