Immigration System Must Provide Due Process, Not Facilitate Coercion and Abuse
Immigration Court by Anita White
The Advocates is sounding the alarm about new policies in immigration court that are violating fundamental due process and human rights. Access to a fair day in court is foundational to our notion of justice in the U.S., but the federal government is denying people access to court and placing them in detention instead. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the complicity of immigration judges, is dismissing cases of people who show up to immigration hearings in order to place them in expedited removal, upending decades of established practice.
Why expedited removal? When a person is in expedited removal, they have few options to protect themselves from deportation and the government keeps them in detention until their case is resolved. By keeping the person in detention, isolated from their family, friends, and legal assistance, the government coerces them into abandoning legitimate claims, accepting deportation just to be free of U.S. detention. Read our policy brief about the issue here.
- You believe people caught up in the immigration system deserve a fair day in court, and you support legislation to guarantee this.
- You do not want your taxpayer dollars used to fund costly detention designed to coerce people into giving up legitimate claims.
- You want transparency and accountability about these new processes and how they align with our commitments to protect people from persecution and torture, to preserve families, and to assist victims of trafficking and other crime.
