The entrance to the Varick Street Immigration Court in New York City. Photo: David Handschuh

Democratic New York lawmakers and advocates lobbied in the Capitol on Thursday for $120 million to fuel a first-in-the-nation bill that would establish a right to counsel in immigration court proceedings.

The measure would boost the capacity of legal service providers to an estimated 65,000 people who lack access to representation in immigration court, advocates said.

They say it would also help reduce the backlog of nearly 200,000 pending immigration court cases with and without attorneys, as estimated by Syracuse University.

The bill, called the Access to Representation Act, is sponsored by Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, D-Manhattan, and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, D-Queens, with New York Attorney General Letitia James backing the effort.

"Immigrants are New Yorkers, and all New Yorkers deserve a fair chance in court," James said in a statement. "Our great state leads the nation in protecting immigrant communities, and it is imperative that we continue to uphold that legacy."

Hoylman-Sigal, who chairs the Senate Judiciary, said: "Having a lawyer in an immigration hearing can be the difference between life and death. Non-detained people in immigration hearings are over three times more likely to achieve a successful outcome if they have representation. Our Access to Representation Act will help immigrants get the legal representation they need."

Cruz, a Columbian-American attorney who's considered a leader for immigration reform, said: "I'm proud to stand with immigrant New Yorkers knowing that the One House budget has made an unprecedented commitment to them at a time of great need. I know how challenging the legal system is to navigate for all New Yorkers, but especially those who cannot afford legal representation and for those who may not speak English."