Federal Prosecutors Are Using Plea Bargains as a Secret Weapon for Deportations
November 16, 2017, 7:37 AM
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is pushing federal prosecutors to bypass immigration courts as part of the Trump administration’s hard-line strategy on deportation. Behind closed doors, prosecutors are pressing noncitizens to sign away their rights to make a case for remaining in the country.
In the most dramatic cases, immigrants charged with crimes are signing plea agreements in which they promise they have “no present fear of torture” on returning to their home country. The pleas can block them from seeking asylum or protection from persecution.
While plea agreements such as these are not entirely new — and are difficult to track — some defense attorneys who specialize in immigration fear they will become commonplace under Sessions.
They’re also concerned prosecutors will push them for minor crimes that previously might not have led an immigration judge to order deportation.
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https://theintercept.com/2017/11/15/...s-immigration/
