As immigration detentions during court hearings rise, Bay Area lawyers are encouraging their clients to opt for virtual hearings. The fear among the immigrant community has intensified due to visible ICE agents outside courts. Many immigrants feel compelled to attend hearings in person to avoid automatic deportation. Legal experts have noted a significant increase in requests for virtual appearances. Nonprofits like La Raza Centro Legal assist undocumented immigrants by helping them file the necessary forms to change their hearing formats in advance.
"The problem is that they have to show up. If they don't show up they are going to get ordered deported, so they are between a rock and a hard place. They have to show up," said Bill Hing, professor of law and migration studies at the University of San Francisco.
"People are panicking and so they have heard that there is an ability to ask permission to appear virtually rather than in person, so more and more people are doing this. I would say every week a couple dozen people," said Prof. Hing.
"This cover page allows people to say what matters is, their A number which is their identification number with the court and the big chunk of your motion will be here in the argument as to why you need to change the hearing format," said April Calvo-Perez, immigration attorney at La Raza Centro Legal in San Francisco.
"As an organization, we have helped about 70 people file these motions pro se. Meaning they don't have lawyers - they are just community members trying to navigate the system on their own."
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