Deportation Tales

Normally, this is a blog about removal defense and, more broadly, immigration-related litigation.  Even so, I wanted to discuss an issue that's been on my mind a lot the last couple of years using an issue I've been seeing in family-based immigration, not litigation. Since Trump took office, there have been numerous immigration-related policies and proposals that have taken the news by fire.  From the Muslim ban to family separation, there are a ridiculous number of cruel actions that justifiably stir up shock and anger.  They have motivated thousands to take to the streets and demand change.  They have inspired lawsuits.  That's a good thing.  We shouldn't be okay with cruelty in any form. Yet, while attention has been focused on these horrific activities, the administration and its employees in the immigration agencies have also silently been implementing changes, policies, presumptions and attitudes that will and do have devastating effects.  Most of these will n

Jena, Louisiana On Friday, September 28, 2018, the Executive Office for Immigration Review ("EOIR" - pronounced "Eeyore" like the Winnie the Pooh character) announced the hiring and assignment of 46 new immigration judges ("IJ").  Of those 46, four were assigned to the LaSalle Immigration Court in Jena, Louisiana, the middle-of-nowhere location of the GEO run  (for profit) ICE detention center where so many immigrants arrested in Arkansas are separated from their families and detained. The LaSalle court has been operating for well over a year, with EOIR often flying IJs to Jena to manage the docket a few days to a few weeks at a time to begin and then transferring management of the court to the Miami Immigration Court.  The Miami court's IJs would appear via televideo alongside ICE trial attorneys and other court staff, including interpreters. Miami's management ended mere weeks ago and now we have what we presume to be full-time IJ