Houston Chronicle by Lomi Kriel March 3, 2020
New Trump administration policies fast-track some children’s immigration court hearings, including video pilot in Houston
President Donald Trump’s administration is fast-tracking the legal proceedings of thousands of immigrant children in its care and unveiling a pilot program in Houston to video stream their hearings — a move advocates say will jeopardize their asylum cases and speed up deportations.
Immigration judges also have been instructed to decide the fate of detained children within 60 days, a significantly tighter time frame than usual.
Advocates for children say the government is trying to ram their cases through the courts to expedite their deportations while they are in government custody. Children in federal shelters usually either come here alone to join their family or traveled with relatives who are not their parents.
Unlike in the criminal justice system, the government does not provide attorneys to immigrants facing deportation if they cannot afford them so children often represent themselves in court. If they are released and reunited with family, however, they are far more likely to obtain legal counsel and qualify for protection.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/New-Trump-administration-policies-fast-track-some-15105573.php
