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After the shutdown, it's hurry up and wait in LA's immigration court
A crowd lines up to get into the immigration court on Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles in Oct. 2018.
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Leslie Berestein Rojas/KPCC
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After the shutdown, it's hurry up and wait in LA's immigration court
While the Trump administration wants to speed up deportations, the government shutdown had the opposite effect, forcing the cancellation of thousands of hearings.
The Trump administration has said for some time that it wants to reduce immigration court backlogs and speed up deportation cases. But the recent government shutdown has had the opposite effect, with tens of thousands of hearings canceled and start-up glitches as courts reopened.
Immigrants whose hearings were canceled are expected to receive notices in the mail with a new date to appear. It's not clear how far out they'll be rescheduled. Immigration courts are already heavily backlogged, with more then 800,000 pending cases nationwide.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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