Immigration Court
Our members regularly document the system failures of our overburdened immigration courts. Check back here often for updates on the access to justice issues immigrants facing deportation confront every day and what we are doing to fight back. Check back here soon for updates on the projects we are working on to bring these issues to light. In the meantime, HERE is the letter we submitted to Congress in 2019 raising awareness of issues to date.
Attacks on Humanitarian Reliefs
In December, 2020, Immigration Courts began fast-tracking cases to enter deportation orders against individuals who are eligible for humanitarian relief but who’s cases remain pending because of administrative delays with USCIS. Immigrant ARC members submitted a letter to the NYC immigration courts detailing why these moves are illegal.
COVID-19 & Immigration Courts
The national health crisis sparked by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing particular concerns for immigrants in immigration court proceedings. I-ARC members led a letter of over 100 legal service providers calling on the US Department of Justice to adopt policies to protect all those who must interact with the Courts during this time.
Lack of Due Process
Since 2017, I-ARC members have witnessed a substantial degradation of due process in New York’s immigration courts, mirroring a troubling national trend. In the summer of 2019 I-ARC members submitted a letter to Congressmen Jerry Nadler and Jose Serrano to ask them for oversight of the Department of Justice and to make clear these changes are not going unnoticed.