Chances of Success in Immigration Court Depend on the Judge

A Reuters investigation has revealed that an immigrant’s likelihood of success in immigration court often depends on which immigration court hears his or her case. This report tells the story of two Honduran women who were driven from their native countries with their children after death threats from armed gang members unhappy with their efforts in a local parent-teacher association to rid the school campus of violent gangs. After traveling across Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained both women near Hidalgo, Texas, and placed them in an immigration detention center in Artesia, New Mexico. Both women then applied for asylum. From there, the women’s paths diverged. Sandra joined her husband in California, where she received asylum from a San Francisco immigration judge following a September, 2016 asylum hearing. Meanwhile, Ana reunited with her husband in the southeastern United States, where her asylum case was assigned to a Charlotte, North Carolina, immigration court. After hearing a story identical to the story that Sandra told in California, the North Carolina judge denied Ana’s asylum petition and ordered her to be deported. Currently, Ana is awaiting a rehearing on her petition after lawyers were able to get her case reopened. This story illustrates the differences in “justice” that an immigrant can receive, all depending upon which immigration court hears his or her case. Statistics about success in immigration court nationwide, taken from the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, tell a similar story. In Charlotte, 84% of cases result in deportation. In San Francisco, 36% of the cases end in deportation. An immigration judge in New York orders deportation in only seven percent of cases, while a Houston immigration judge orders deportation in 94% of cases. In Atlanta, 84% of cases end in deportation. No matter their location, individuals who may have a valid deportation defense need an experienced California immigration attorney who can assist them with this often complex process. At Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., we know how to stand up for the rights of those who are legally entitled to remain in the U.S. Call us today at (510) 756-4468 and schedule an appointment with one of our deportation defense lawyers, and learn how we can assist you.