Info Lets Immigrants See Judges' Records

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00138.html


Info Lets Immigrants See Judges' Records

By CARA ANNA
The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 8, 2006; 4:25 AM



ALBANY, N.Y. -- In the past, immigrants could only rely on gossip to determine whether a particlular immigration judge has a tendency to rule for or against asylum.

But they gained a new tool Monday, when information on backgrounds and records of most of the nation's 200-plus immigration judges was published in one place for the first time.

The online database shows each judge's denial rates in asylum cases, giving immigrants and their attorneys new insight. They may even be inspired to try to get their cases moved to a friendlier court.

"You just have one chance," said Susan Long, co-director of the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, which released the information. The project collects and analyzes federal government data.

"You learn a lot in court, but not in time to be helpful," Long said. "It's like a surgeon _ you want one who does a good job."

The United States granted asylum to 13,520 people in 2005, according to Citizenship and Immigration Services statistics. People cam seek asylum if they fear persecution for returning to their countries because of their race, religion, nationality or political views.

Until now, sites like asylumlaw.org have had some statistics, but immigrant advocates said the information could be old or incomplete. Now immigrants can learn, for example, if their judge once worked for the enforcement arm of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales ordered a review of the immigration courts in January, saying some judges showed "intemperate or even abusive" conduct toward asylum seekers.

Individual judges have remarkable range in denying asylum, from 10 percent to more than 98 percent, according to a TRAC report last month.

Monday's release lets the public compare judges within each court or with others across the country. It also shows each judge's caseload by major nationalities.

___

On the Web:

TRAC database on immigration judges: http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/judgereports/

AsylumLaw: http://www.asylumlaw.org/

© 2006 The Associated Press

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This is very upsetting. Couldn't this also be translated as 'exploiting the weakness of your enemy.' ??
Alec Baldwin said it best in the movie "The Hunt for Red October".
In the scene just after American sailors board the Russian submarine, he tells Sean Connery, "It is wise to study the ways of one's advisary."

That's exactly what is happening here. With that being said, couldn't that be construed as an act of war? or maybe terrorism? hmmmm...

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Monday's release lets the public compare judges within each court or with others across the country. It also shows each judge's caseload by major nationalities.

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Who released this information? Was it U.S. Attorney General Gonzales or someone else in the Bush administration. If it was, that would be very disturbing. I wouldn't be surprised if it was, because it often appears as if the Bush administration is trying to undermine our security at every turn.

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Originally Posted by MW

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Monday's release lets the public compare judges within each court or with others across the country. It also shows each judge's caseload by major nationalities.

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Who released this information? Was it U.S. Attorney General Gonzales or someone else in the Bush administration. If it was, that would be very disturbing. I wouldn't be surprised if it was, because it often appears as if the Bush administration is trying to undermine our security at every turn.

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Did they also release the judge's home addresses and where their kids go to school?

Maybe they're holding that in reserve.