Thread: Government Shutdown Leads To A Spike In Canceled Immigration Hearings

Government Shutdown Leads To A Spike In Canceled Immigration Hearings

January 14, 20199:19 PM ET
Richard Gonzales

Almost 43,000 immigration court hearings have been canceled as a result of the partial government shutdown, freezing an already heavily backlogged system, according to a report by researchers tracking immigration data. Another 20,000 hearings will be canceled for every additional week the government is not operating.

The report by the Transactional Records Access Clearing House at Syracuse University concludes that as many as 100,000 individuals will have had their hearings postponed if the shutdown continues through the end of January.

Between Dec. 24 and Jan. 11, 42,726 scheduled cases were not heard.

"Individuals impacted by these cancellations may have already being waiting two, three, or even four years for their day in court," the report says.

As NPR's John Burnett reports, immigrants who have had their hearings postponed or canceled may have to wait until 2022 for a rescheduled hearing.

"The White House has asked Congress to fund 75 new immigration judges to help clear overcrowded dockets that have ballooned in the past five years with more asylum claims," Burnett added.

Even if Congress approved the hiring of new judges — and that is a big if, considering the current stalemate over immigration policy — the case backlog is massive.

"Since few cases are being resolved during the shutdown, each week the shutdown continues the practical effect is to add thousands of cases back onto the active case backlog which had already topped eight-hundred thousand (809,041) as of the end of last November," the report adds. The case backlog has risen almost 50 percent since President Trump took office.

NPR's Laura Benshoff reported earlier this month that the rescheduling of immigration hearings can be devastating for some, or a blessing in disguise for others.

"For example, pushing back a hearing could mean an immigrant who qualifies for status now may not in the future if immigration policies are restricted. Or, if an immigrant doesn't have a strong claim for status, a delay means more time in the U.S. and maybe even qualifying for another form of immigration status in the interim."

The 10 states experiencing the most immigration hearing cancellations are California, New York, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

The Justice Department office that oversees the immigration courts, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, did not respond to requests for comment. A recorded message said that the press office is closed due to the government shutdown.

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/14/68536...ation-hearings

Cancel all these hearings...issue Notice for Deportation.

They can have a hearing via Skype in their damn countries!

GET THEM OFF OUR SOIL AND KEEP THEM OUT.

This government shutdown is not helping our cause, it's actually hurting it, right? Even if it results in a little money for wall, fence or barriers, it won't have justified the consequences of this shutdown on our country, citizens, businesses or our cause of stopping illegal immigration, seems to me. Maybe President should look into this effect and take that into consideration. There's no way to make this up that I can see.

President Trump drew a line in the sand when he signed the last Omnibus funding bill without money for his border wall. He promised not to do it again. Kudos to Trump for standing his ground and phooey to anyone claiming to care about border security that opposes him on this!

As I've always said, I'll give Trump credit when it's due, but I won't hesitate to hold his feet to the fire when he's wrong. Well, he's right on this. The Democrats left him with no other option! A man is only as good as his word.

He wasn't talking about the border wall, he was talking about the size of the deficit spending.

NO MORE CARAVANS OF FOREIGNERS WHO HAVE NO RIGHT TO COME HERE!

SHUT THE WHOLE BORDER DOWN...WE ARE SICK OF THIS UNRELENTING INVASION!

MEXICO ISSUED THEM THE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS AND MEXICO CAN DAMN WELL KEEP THEM! NO ASYLUM IN USA!

Originally Posted by Judy

He wasn't talking about the border wall, he was talking about the size of the deficit spending.

“When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn’t happen!"

--- President Donald Trump

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/donald-trump-wont-sign-temporary-spending-bill-over-border-wall-funding/

"I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership," Trump tweeted. "Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!"

https://ktla.com/2018/12/20/trump-wont-sign-bill-avoiding-government-shutdown-because-it-doesnt-fully-fund-border-wall-speaker-ryan-says/

President Trump only signed the last Omnibus funding bill because it included the money he wanted for the military and because he was promised his border wall funding in the next DHS funding bill. Well, the funding is not there, so the line has been crossed and now he's forced to stand his ground.

NO DEAL FOR DACA OR TPS!

SEND THEM PACKING! THEY CANNOT STAY HERE FOREVER!

Originally Posted by MW

“When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn’t happen!"

--- President Donald Trump

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/donald-trump-wont-sign-temporary-spending-bill-over-border-wall-funding/

"I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership," Trump tweeted. "Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!"

https://ktla.com/2018/12/20/trump-wont-sign-bill-avoiding-government-shutdown-because-it-doesnt-fully-fund-border-wall-speaker-ryan-says/

President Trump only signed the last Omnibus funding bill because it included the money he wanted for the military and because he was promised his border wall funding in the next DHS funding bill. Well, the funding is not there, so the line has been crossed and now he's forced to stand his ground.

You're posting quotes from one year and applying them to something a year earlier. I'm talking about his statement when he signed last year's omnibus spending bill. That's when he said "I'm never signing another one." You're mixed up.

KEEP IT SHUTDOWN...BUILD THE WALL WITH NO DEALS!

GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN OPENED SINCE THE 1986 AMNESTY AND THEY DID NOT BUILD THE WALL AND KEEP THEM OUT!

WE ARE ON AMNESTY #8!!! BOOT THEM OUT AND LET NO MORE IN.

OPENING GOVERNMENT FOR MORE TALKS IS LIES!!!

THEY HAD MANY "OPPORTUNITIES" TO STOP THIS PROBLEM! THEY ARE FULL OF IT!