Thread: Drive Against IAs Causes Shortage Of Court Interpreters

Stepped Up Drive Against Illegal Immigrants Causes Shortage Of Court Interpreters

November 19, 2008 10:38 a.m. EST

AHN Staff

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - With a record number of illegal immigrant arrests made by federal and state officials in the past few months, the number of deportation and other migrant-related cases have risen also.

It led to a shortage of court interpreters. According to Wanda Romberger, manager of court interpreting services of the National Center for State Courts, almost all states have reported lack of certified interpreters, particularly those adept in foreign languages other than Spanish.

The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators has 3,000 certified interpreters on its list, but only 500 are experts in foreign tongues aside from Spanish. While there are no data on how many extra translators are needed by courts nationwide with the rise in immigration cases, the 2007 report of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said there was a 17 percent rise in number of court hearings from October 2006 to September 2007 that required a translator involving115 languages.

About 95 percent of the immigration cases, though, require the services of Spanish language translators. The shortage has forced courts to hire the services of freelance interpreters who may not be qualified to do the job and may adversely affect the results of the court cases.

Federal certified or qualified court interpreters make $376 a day, while freelancers and uncertified translators are paid only $181 daily, according to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

Meanwhile, political observers are waiting who will be appointed by President-elect Barack Obama as Homeland Security Secretary, who will take charge of how to solve the country's continuously growing illegal immigration problem. The new secretary will be in charge of a $40 billion budget and 200,000 employees who are trying to run after millions of undocumented aliens in the U.S.

Among the names being bandied around as the new Homeland Security secretary are ex-counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke, former Congressman Timothy Roemer, ex-Senator Gary Hart, retired Navy secretary Richard Danzig, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen and retired Air Force Gen. Ralph Eberhart.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013109491

This is just another excuse for not getting these criminals on the 1st donkey out of the USA. My wife has been trying to get on as a court translator since she speaks 5 languages and there are no jobs available.

Don't they make computer software that translates why don't they just communicate that way, or does that make too much sence! Or are we expecting too much out of illegals to read and type or even use the talk and type. These things are cheaper than any person!!

Actually.....

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Problem solved.

Why don't the judges simply have a list of questions answerable by "Si" or "No?"

I have a very good friend who is half-Nicaraguan, fluent in Spanish, very opposed to illegal immigration, proud to be an American, proud to be in favor of English as the national language, and who is unemployed. I am immediately forwarding this report to her so she can apply for a job!

Telephone is not a new communication tool. Try using the telephone to offer language understanding if needed.

AND is the problem of illegal criminal undocumented immigrants in the United States 50 million instead of 12 million?

Federal certified or qualified court interpreters make $376 a day, while freelancers and uncertified translators are paid only $181 daily, according to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

Why are they so overpaid???? You'd think they'd have interpreters coming out of the woodwork at these salaries!

Originally Posted by notyou

I have a very good friend who is half-Nicaraguan, fluent in Spanish, very opposed to illegal immigration, proud to be an American, proud to be in favor of English as the national language, and who is unemployed. I am immediately forwarding this report to her so she can apply for a job!

Fortunately, I think most immigrants feel the same way. Hope she gets the job. My wife is looking into this too. We would love to have $376 a day coming in extra. Heck I may quit my job and learn Sanish. That's $98K a year. Beats teaching ESL.