And even more years for the case to be adjudicated.This opens a window for them to work in the country, save and send money home to their families. "It is clear that the length of time it is now taking to get through the immigration court process has become a significant pull factor that is driving migration throughout the region," Blas Nunez-Neto, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security, told the colloquium, which was hosted by MPI.- 'Fair' and 'efficient' - Migrants coming from Latin America and elsewhere pay human smuggling gangs up to $15,000 to get across the border.They do so because, according to Nunez-Neto, "once they're in the immigration court system and they have filed the requisite paperwork, they are eligible for employment authorization. ""We are... seeing the court system essentially become a proxy and legal pathway for people to come to the United States," he added.At one time, most migrants were Mexican, of whom a limited number sought asylum. But now they come mainly from other countries and many "seek protection, although relatively few" obtain it, Nunez-Neto said.In a new report, MPI makes a series of recommendations to decongest the courts while waiting for Congress to agree on new immigration legislation. The last major legislation dates back 36 years.The report proposes, for example, encouraging the use of technology like video-conferencing, reinstating the ability of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum officers to handle border processing without going through judges, and scheduling new cases on a "last-in, first-decided" basis, MPI researcher Muzaffar Chishti said.But Jojo Annobil, director of the Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC), an organization that provides legal assistance, criticizes it because "it can't be a system of 'last in, first out,' and people are being shuffled out and deported without representation" by an attorney.Neal, from the Department of Justice, advocates a balance that respects the dual obligations to be "fair" and "efficient.

Source: Economic Times July 23, 2023 00:19 UTC