Immigration courts overwhelmed, asylum seekers left in limbo
CBS TEXAS
[{'start': '0.160', 'end': '3.520', 'text': 'The number of migrants crossing the US'}, {'start': '1.839', 'end': '6.640', 'text': 'southern border, it has dropped'}, {'start': '3.520', 'end': '9.360', 'text': 'significantly from 170,000 a year ago to'}, {'start': '6.640', 'end': '11.440', 'text': 'about 11,000 this past March. But'}, {'start': '9.360', 'end': '13.440', 'text': "despite the drop, it's the immigration"}, {'start': '11.440', 'end': '16.400', 'text': 'courts that are now seeing historically'}, {'start': '13.440', 'end': '20.680', 'text': 'high volumes of cases into the millions.'}, {'start': '16.400', 'end': '20.680', 'text': "And it's only getting worse."}, {'start': '25.680', 'end': '29.760', 'text': 'The unprecedented surge of people'}, {'start': '27.599', 'end': '32.160', 'text': 'seeking asylum at our borders is spilled'}, {'start': '29.760', 'end': '34.000', 'text': "from America's doorstep into US"}, {'start': '32.160', 'end': '35.920', 'text': 'immigration courts all throughout the'}, {'start': '34.000', 'end': '38.160', 'text': "country. And it's left millions of"}, {'start': '35.920', 'end': '41.440', 'text': 'people in limbo waiting for their day to'}, {'start': '38.160', 'end': '41.440', 'text': 'present their case in a'}, {'start': '41.640', 'end': '46.520', 'text': "courtroom. You still don't have a court"}, {'start': '43.520', 'end': '46.520', 'text': 'date.'}, {'start': '46.879', 'end': '51.360', 'text': 'You do have one for next year. Mhm.'}, {'start': '48.480', 'end': '53.199', 'text': 'Yeah. Venezuelans Natanel and Allison'}, {'start': '51.360', 'end': '55.199', 'text': 'are just two of those caught in the'}, {'start': '53.199', 'end': '57.039', 'text': 'systems backlog. When we met them at'}, {'start': '55.199', 'end': '58.719', 'text': "Dallas's immigration court last month,"}, {'start': '57.039', 'end': '61.440', 'text': "they told us they've been living in the"}, {'start': '58.719', 'end': '62.640', 'text': 'US for more than a year now. In the'}, {'start': '61.440', 'end': '65.640', 'text': 'meantime, what have you all been doing'}, {'start': '62.640', 'end': '65.640', 'text': 'here?'}, {'start': '67.920', 'end': '72.159', 'text': "She says they've been working every day"}, {'start': '70.080', 'end': '74.799', 'text': 'with a temporary permit as they wait for'}, {'start': '72.159', 'end': '77.200', 'text': 'a resolution in their case. Zooming out,'}, {'start': '74.799', 'end': '79.600', 'text': 'there are about 3.6 6 million'}, {'start': '77.200', 'end': '81.360', 'text': 'immigration cases pending in the US.'}, {'start': '79.600', 'end': '84.080', 'text': "That's according to transactional"}, {'start': '81.360', 'end': '85.600', 'text': 'records access clearing house or track.'}, {'start': '84.080', 'end': '87.840', 'text': 'They keep data on the federal'}, {'start': '85.600', 'end': '90.080', 'text': "government's enforcement activities. Of"}, {'start': '87.840', 'end': '92.240', 'text': 'those, about 2 million are asylum'}, {'start': '90.080', 'end': '94.000', 'text': "related. In Dallas, it's north of"}, {'start': '92.240', 'end': '96.240', 'text': '225,000.'}, {'start': '94.000', 'end': '98.240', 'text': 'The backlog is is still really really'}, {'start': '96.240', 'end': '100.079', 'text': 'quite extensive. Paul Hunker is an'}, {'start': '98.240', 'end': '102.799', 'text': 'immigration attorney and a former chief'}, {'start': '100.079', 'end': '105.439', 'text': 'counsel for ICE in Dallas. This issue,'}, {'start': '102.799', 'end': '106.799', 'text': 'what created it? increased apprehensions'}, {'start': '105.439', 'end': '108.880', 'text': 'created it. So, a lot of people'}, {'start': '106.799', 'end': '111.200', 'text': 'apprehended at the border, released and'}, {'start': '108.880', 'end': '112.720', 'text': 'put into removal proceedings, and it got'}, {'start': '111.200', 'end': '114.640', 'text': 'worse uh during the Biden'}, {'start': '112.720', 'end': '116.640', 'text': 'administration. While our cameras were'}, {'start': '114.640', 'end': '118.159', 'text': 'not allowed upstairs here at immigration'}, {'start': '116.640', 'end': '120.880', 'text': 'court in Dallas, I can tell you that we'}, {'start': '118.159', 'end': '122.640', 'text': 'sat in on several asylum seeker dockets,'}, {'start': '120.880', 'end': '125.759', 'text': "and their next court dates aren't being"}, {'start': '122.640', 'end': '128.000', 'text': "assigned until 2028. That's about 3"}, {'start': '125.759', 'end': '131.200', 'text': 'years from now. In the US, there are'}, {'start': '128.000', 'end': '133.760', 'text': 'about 700 immigration judges serving 71'}, {'start': '131.200', 'end': '135.840', 'text': "courts. Hunker says it's nowhere near"}, {'start': '133.760', 'end': '138.959', 'text': 'what is necessary to clear the current'}, {'start': '135.840', 'end': '142.239', 'text': 'backlog. The numbers are just so great'}, {'start': '138.959', 'end': '144.239', 'text': 'that you would have to hire just so many'}, {'start': '142.239', 'end': '147.200', 'text': 'ridiculous number of a ludicrous number'}, {'start': '144.239', 'end': '149.840', 'text': 'of immigration judges to get the backlog'}, {'start': '147.200', 'end': '152.080', 'text': 'down. So in the meantime, the majority'}, {'start': '149.840', 'end': '154.000', 'text': 'of new asylum seekers are waiting years'}, {'start': '152.080', 'end': '157.040', 'text': 'for an answer as to whether they can'}, {'start': '154.000', 'end': '158.400', 'text': 'stay. Millions just waiting in line in'}, {'start': '157.040', 'end': '159.920', 'text': 'the queue.'}, {'start': '158.400', 'end': '163.280', 'text': 'I mean what what what does that do to'}, {'start': '159.920', 'end': '166.160', 'text': 'the integrity of the system? It it hurts'}, {'start': '163.280', 'end': '168.800', 'text': 'the integrity of the system. It people'}, {'start': '166.160', 'end': '170.400', 'text': 'uh who have who who deserve relief, it'}, {'start': '168.800', 'end': '173.239', 'text': 'can take them a very long time to get'}, {'start': '170.400', 'end': '175.280', 'text': "it. What's the fix? I think the fix is"}, {'start': '173.239', 'end': '177.680', 'text': 'acknowledging that people who have been'}, {'start': '175.280', 'end': '180.560', 'text': 'here a long time and and who deserve it'}, {'start': '177.680', 'end': '183.200', 'text': 'give them a pathway to citizenship and'}, {'start': '180.560', 'end': '185.440', 'text': 'then allow the court to focus more on'}, {'start': '183.200', 'end': '187.599', 'text': 'new cases that are coming in and dealing'}, {'start': '185.440', 'end': '190.480', 'text': 'with those quickly. According to track,'}, {'start': '187.599', 'end': '192.879', 'text': '56% of asylum cases have been denied in'}, {'start': '190.480', 'end': '195.120', 'text': 'the last 5 years. For Natanel and'}, {'start': '192.879', 'end': '199.239', 'text': 'Allison, they just continue to wait in'}, {'start': '195.120', 'end': '199.239', 'text': 'line, hanging on to hope.'}, {'start': '199.920', 'end': '203.760', 'text': 'That at some point the door may be held'}, {'start': '202.080', 'end': '205.920', 'text': 'open for them through asylum or'}, {'start': '203.760', 'end': '210.200', 'text': 'residency so they can continue to live'}, {'start': '205.920', 'end': '210.200', 'text': 'and work in the US with calm.'}, {'start': '210.400', 'end': '214.080', 'text': 'Well, we spent a couple of days sitting'}, {'start': '212.319', 'end': '216.159', 'text': "in immigration court and that's where we"}, {'start': '214.080', 'end': '218.319', 'text': 'met Natanel and Allison who you just'}, {'start': '216.159', 'end': '220.319', 'text': 'met. While there, we witnessed more than'}, {'start': '218.319', 'end': '221.920', 'text': 'a dozen asylum seekers getting their'}, {'start': '220.319', 'end': '224.000', 'text': 'court dates and many of them expressed'}, {'start': '221.920', 'end': '226.319', 'text': 'all kinds of fear about what would'}, {'start': '224.000', 'end': '227.519', 'text': 'happen if they were sent back to their'}, {'start': '226.319', 'end': '228.640', 'text': "native countries. And that's a"}, {'start': '227.519', 'end': '230.319', 'text': "perspective that I don't think we've"}, {'start': '228.640', 'end': '232.319', 'text': 'talked much about. So, we appreciate you'}, {'start': '230.319', 'end': '234.000', 'text': 'giving us that side of the story. One'}, {'start': '232.319', 'end': '236.640', 'text': 'thing that I feel like has come up over'}, {'start': '234.000', 'end': '238.720', 'text': "and over again is just the fear that's"}, {'start': '236.640', 'end': '240.640', 'text': 'being felt in immigrant communities'}, {'start': '238.720', 'end': '241.840', 'text': 'right now under this administration. Is'}, {'start': '240.640', 'end': '243.120', 'text': 'that something that they spoke to you'}, {'start': '241.840', 'end': '244.799', 'text': 'about? Yeah, absolutely. And we'}, {'start': '243.120', 'end': '246.879', 'text': 'definitely saw some of that firsthand.'}, {'start': '244.799', 'end': '248.920', 'text': 'Uh one man that we spoke to, uh he even'}, {'start': '246.879', 'end': '251.599', 'text': 'asked a judge if he was safe from'}, {'start': '248.920', 'end': '252.799', 'text': 'deportation while waiting for his 2028'}, {'start': '251.599', 'end': '254.480', 'text': "court. You know, that's three years from"}, {'start': '252.799', 'end': '256.000', 'text': 'now. So, a lot can happen between now'}, {'start': '254.480', 'end': '257.840', 'text': 'and then. That judge was honest with'}, {'start': '256.000', 'end': '260.079', 'text': "him. He said he can't make any kind of"}, {'start': '257.840', 'end': '263.040', 'text': 'guarantees. He said all he can do is'}, {'start': '260.079', 'end': '264.400', 'text': 'continue to follow the rules of his u'}, {'start': '263.040', 'end': '266.240', 'text': 'essentially probation here in the'}, {'start': '264.400', 'end': '267.440', 'text': 'country and continue to show up for his'}, {'start': '266.240', 'end': '268.880', 'text': 'court date. Now, I will tell you this'}, {'start': '267.440', 'end': '270.479', 'text': 'because we learned this and a lot of'}, {'start': '268.880', 'end': '271.600', 'text': "folks don't uh they don't realize this."}, {'start': '270.479', 'end': '273.759', 'text': 'This is some of the misinformation'}, {'start': '271.600', 'end': '275.360', 'text': "that's going on, Nicole. If you miss"}, {'start': '273.759', 'end': '277.600', 'text': "your court date, if you're a no- call"}, {'start': '275.360', 'end': '280.320', 'text': "no-show, and there's no excuse for it,"}, {'start': '277.600', 'end': '282.160', 'text': 'you immediately get a deportation order'}, {'start': '280.320', 'end': '284.400', 'text': 'put on you. A lot of folks think that'}, {'start': '282.160', 'end': '286.240', 'text': 'maybe by not going to court, uh, they'}, {'start': '284.400', 'end': '287.680', 'text': 'can stay a little longer, uh, maybe hide'}, {'start': '286.240', 'end': '289.280', 'text': 'from a little bit of that fear that they'}, {'start': '287.680', 'end': '290.880', 'text': 'might have. Uh, but as a matter of fact,'}, {'start': '289.280', 'end': '292.160', 'text': "if you don't show up, that's when you"}, {'start': '290.880', 'end': '293.520', 'text': "get red flagged. That's when you get"}, {'start': '292.160', 'end': '295.120', 'text': "deported. It's a really, really good"}, {'start': '293.520', 'end': '297.440', 'text': 'distinction. Thank you for taking us'}, {'start': '295.120', 'end': '297.440', 'text': 'inside'}]