Thursday, January 31, 2019
MIAMI (AP) — The already backlogged immigration courts faced more hurdles today when hundreds of immigrants arrived with government-issued notices to appear in court for hearings that were never scheduled.
U.S. immigration officials blamed the government shutdown and the extreme winter weather in some areas for the confusion about immigration court hearings. The part of the Justice Department overseeing immigration courts said some immigrants with notices to appear today would not be able to proceed with those hearings.
In Miami, immigrants from Honduras and Guatemala who recently requested asylum in the United States arrived to a glass downtown court building only to be turned away by court personnel. They were told they were not scheduled to appear, contrary to what their government-issued document said.
Similar backlogs have occurred nationwide since a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling said that under the law notices given for immigrants to appear in court need to include a time and date. Before that June ruling, the Department of Homeland Security would issue undated notices, and the Executive Office for Immigration Review would set the hearings.
In an emailed statement, the Immigration Review office said the shutdown prevented immigration courts from issuing new hearing notices. Weather-related closures of several courts on Tuesday and Wednesday also slowed the agency's processing of cases. The agency also said in some cases, courts didn't receive the required paperwork. The agency said the weather contributed to the crossed signals. It didn't respond to questions.