Immigrants left in limbo after US cancels hearings as some fear deportation
Immigrants left in limbo after US cancels hearings as some fear deportation
Surge in Central American migrants in courts delays non-priority cases for thousands and government says some may not be resolved until 2019 or later
Associated Press in Washington
Sunday 1 February 2015 15.48 EST
Thousands of immigrants seeking legalization through the US court system have had their hearings canceled and are being told by the government that it may be 2019 or later before their futures are resolved.
Some immigration lawyers fear the delay will leave their clients at risk of deportation as evidence becomes dated, witnesses disappear, sponsoring relatives die and dependent children become adults.
The increase in cancellations began late last summer after the Justice Department prioritised the tens of thousands of Central American migrants crossing the US-Mexico border, most of them mothers with children and accompanied minors.
Immigration lawyers in cities that absorbed a large share of those cases, including New York, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Denver, say they have had hearings canceled with little notice and received no new court dates. Work permits, green cards, asylum claims and family reunifications hang in the balance.
Denver immigration lawyer David Simmons said he has never seen such a standstill in nearly 30 years of practice. “There is no maneuverability,” he said. “It’s as if we have no court at all.”
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/01/us-cancels-immigration-hearings-thousands