"The government lawyer knew what was coming as she stood inside a courtroom and texted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent waiting in a corridor a few feet away. "I can't do this," the lawyer said in a text message as she looked at her docket of cases. "This is a new emotional load." "I understand," the agent responded. "Hopefully we meet again in a better situation.""
"Then the lawyer quickly moved to have the man's asylum claim dismissed and a judge agreed, making the man eligible for "expedited removal." As he left the courtroom, the man was swarmed by plainclothes immigration agents who had been surveilling him. A struggle ensued and the wife's shouts could be heard from the hallway as the lawyer moved on to the next case. The agent replied four minutes later: "Got him.""
The immigration court system carries an estimated backlog of about 3.8 million asylum cases, causing widespread disruption and family separations. Due process is being undermined as court proceedings increasingly produce rapid dismissals and immediate arrests. Government attorneys and ICE agents have employed emotionally taxing tactics, with courtroom surveillance and plainclothes arrests following hearings. Cases shifted to "expedited removal" result in swift detention and deportation eligibility. The enforcement approach reflects a broader Trump-era push for mass deportations and hardline immigration policies. Public reaction includes notable disapproval of the handling of immigration, with a majority expressing concern.
Read at Boston.com
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