The policies are part of a constellation of measures undertaken by the Trump administration to help stem the record number of migrant families, mainly from Central America, who began crossing the border in the fall of 2018. They pointed to cases of people who had been kidnapped or raped while they were waiting in Mexico and were told afterward by American authorities that their fear of residing in Mexico was not credible. Friday’s appeals court ruling, before it was stayed, prompted widespread celebration among those who had been fighting the policy, followed by hours of confusion over when and how it might go into effect. Yoleydi Gonzalez Jimenez, 26, arrived from Cuba with her husband in the Mexican city of Matamoros in September and has been living in a tent encampment at the end of an international bridge into the United States ever since. For prior years, wait times are calculated for cases pending at the end of each fiscal year (September 30). The union represents about 460 immigration judges who work more than 65 courts. “They seem to be out of touch with the state numbers we are seeing.”. To address the problem, USCIS implemented a “last in, first out” policy on January 31, 2018. The reopenings extend a haphazard but unmistakable march to business as usual that has outraged judges and lawyers who say the pandemic poses unacceptable risk of spreading disease. He said that Ciudad Juárez, where more than 19,700 migrants have been returned under the program, was currently supporting a transient population of between 13,000 and 15,000 migrants, including migrants returned under the program as well as those who are still waiting to cross into the United States to apply for asylum. When the injunction was stayed, the migrants were returned to Mexico, allowed to enter the United States only for their court hearings. Waiting times for UK immigration appeals soar by 45% in a year. Emma Obando, 42, had been cooking plantains for her two sons in the Matamoros tent encampment on Friday when a crying woman ran toward her, yelling to everyone she passed, “We should go; we should cross right now because they have undone the law of M.P.P.”. Until then, she was told, she would have to go back to Mexico. Although you should receive a decision within two to three months, there have been reported wait times of six months to a year (as of mid-2020). There’s a pandemic, but home prices are at record levels in Southern California. Hearings in courts for non-detained immigrants, who can come and go freely, usually require the person be there with their lawyer, especially when deciding whether someone is eligible for asylum. CAUTION: Do your best not to miss the interview! A three-judge panel in San Francisco upheld an injunction blocking the policy, which has required people applying for asylum at the border to wait in Mexico while their claims for protection are reviewed, a process that often takes months or years. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should conduct the asylum interview within 45 days after the date the application is filed, and make a decision on the asylum application within 180 days after the date the application is filed, unless exceptional circumstances arise. Currently, the asylum offices are located in the following cities: Arlington (VA), Chicago, Houston, Miami, Newark, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Review: Democracy fails another stress test as Trump runs roughshod over debate. Hence, it is likely that your asylum case will be pending before the immigration court for more than 180 days. That could be a problem if conditions in your home country improve enough that your fear of persecution becomes less credible. This will not affect how your case is processed or how likely it will be for you to obtain asylum. There, the immigration judge might ask you whether you accept an expedited hearing. If you feel that you will need more time to prepare, you can decline the expedited hearing.

Thus these average "wait times" differ from average "processing times" which would include all days until a case is closed. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Courts in Newark and Detroit also were scheduled to reopen Monday. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising.

Moreover, if you will be presenting a lot of facts and witnesses, the immigration judge might need to schedule several merits hearings. San Diego, which also has seen a surge in coronavirus cases, was scheduled to reopen court on July 6 but moved it back two weeks — again without explanation. Lawyers who brought the challenge represented a group of 11 asylum seekers who had been returned to Mexico and several legal advocacy organizations. This article explores how the system got to the breaking point, and what opportunities for reform exist. Instead, it will shorten all of your court deadlines. Get all the day's most vital news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Under the expedited removal timeline, the immigration judge will issue a decision on your application within approximately 180 days after your case is referred to the immigration court.