Wall Street Journal
By Miriam Jordan
October 1, 2013
The nation’s 59 immigration courts, already struggling with years-long backlogs, were operating with skeletal staff Tuesday, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges. About 70% of court employees, including judges, were furloughed across the country. Only judges hearing deportation cases of individuals in detention were exempt.
All told, there are about 330,000 cases pending before immigration courts nationwide. Judge Dana Leigh Marks, president of the judges association, said that she had cases scheduled through May 2017. “This is unbelievably unproductive; it’s insane,” said Ms. Marks, who is in San Francisco.
The message on her office phone said she was not there because “I am considered a non-essential employee.”
Atlanta immigration attorney Charles Kuck said that city’s court was packed Tuesday morning. But four out of its five judges were furloughed. “Congress is wreaking havoc with people’s lives,” he said. He predicted that his clients scheduled for an Oct. 1 hearing would wait at least a year to be rescheduled.
“For people waiting for a decision, such as an asylum seeker, their case could be severely disadvantaged if they have to wait such a long time. There could be loss of crucial evidence, such as the inability to get a witness they intended to present at their hearing,” said Gregory Chen, Director of Advocacy at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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