Immigrant Detainees in Georgia Face Massive Barriers to Asylum, Release, and Counsel

In a recent article written by an Equal Justice Works Fellow of Human Rights First, B. Shaw Drake details his visits to the Irwin County Detention Center and Stewart Detention Center, both in Southern Georgia. Stewart is the largest immigration detention facility for adults in the country, with a capacity of 2,100 detainees. Combined, Stewart and Irwin held over 14,000 people during fiscal year (FY) 2015. At issue is the sheer inability of these detainees to obtain any sort of relief from removal, despite the fact that most detainees are seeking asylum. The statistics for detainees who are able to gain relief in the Georgia immigration courts are staggering when compared to national averages. The Stewart Detention Center immigration court granted relief to just 1.1% of cases in FY 2015 and 5.1% of asylum claims, and the Atlanta immigration court, which hears cases via videoconference from Irwin, granted relief to 1.8% of its cases and 2.1% of asylum claims. On average, Georgia immigration judges denied about 45% more asylum petitions than other immigration courts nationwide, and ordered deportation in about 30% more cases than other courts. The rural locations of these facilities make few attorneys available to assist detainees. The most recent statistics show that only about 6% of Stewart detainees have attorneys to help them with their removal proceedings. Nationwide, about 14% of immigrant detainees have attorneys, but that figure jumps to 69% for those immigrants whom ICE releases from detention. Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. is composed of skilled California immigration attorneys who focus exclusively on defending individuals in deportation cases. We realize just how stressful and emotional deportation proceedings can be for you and your entire family. The uncertainty of a potential deportation can drag on for months and even years as you continue to build a life in America without any assurances that you will be able to stay in the country. As seasoned deportation defense lawyers, we know what it takes to successfully defend against deportation in a wide variety of situations and how to develop the best strategy in your defense case. Call us today and learn how we can advocate on your behalf and work toward avoiding deportation altogether.