Under new procedures established by federal courts in the State of New York, unaccompanied minors and families with children who entered the United States in recent months during a surge of illegal migration from Central America will be moved to the front of the line to go before immigration judges for their removal hearings or deportation cases. Court administrators spent the last several weeks working with the Department of Justice to design a modified system to handle the burgeoning caseload caused by the influx of Central American children to the southern border of the United States.
In an email from a spokeswoman for the Justice Department’s executive office for immigration review, or EOIR, which oversees the immigration courts, Kathryn Mattingly notes that, “These steps include making docket adjustments, re-prioritizing certain case types and refocusing EOIR immigration court resources. The administration’s goal is for lone minors to appear before a judge within 21 days after being put into deportation proceedings, said the spokeswoman,. The realignment is also intended to provide an initial hearing to all parents with children within 28 days as well.
With the prospect of a swifter system using the revised rules being effectuated, immigration attorneys and advocates now must prepare themselves to handle the expedited process envisioned by these changes. Many immigration groups say that the normal rhythm of hearings is already challenging. The addition of possibly hundreds of new cases flooding the courts, they say, will push the system further to the brink. It will also set a higher premium on the necessity that those immigration attorneys who handle these unique matters be well-acquainted with the special procedures and have the capacity to competently represent those children whose cases will be heard on this faster schedule.
The Shulman Law Group endeavors to ensure its clients be kept abreast of all significant developments relating to the process of immigration to the United States. Edward Shulman, Esq, founder of The Shulman Law Group, LLC is a national speaker for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). AILA is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, and to advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice. In the course of Mr. Shulman’s involvement with AILA, he has been dedicated to educating other immigration attorneys about the import of helping intending immigrants to navigate a new cultural system. He meticulously follows all of the developments occurring in the battle over immigration reform so that he will be prepared to effectively assist his clients obtain residency if a new system is enacted.