Critics think it sends illegal immigrants a bad message
There is a change coming in the way immigration cases are going to be handled in court. Some people like the idea. Some people think it’s an idea better off left on the backburner.
The change is in the way immigration cases are disposed of. Judges are being encouraged to reduce clogged dockets by closing cases on their own, without the consent of prosecutors. The shift has supporters, like Houston immigration lawyer Gordon Quan.
“I think it reaffirms the authority of the judges to take control of the court and if they deem appropriate to provide administrative closure for some of these cases,” Quan explained.
Quan thinks this new direction will be effective.
“It will determine which cases really need to go forward,” Quan stated
But Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform thinks it's a bad idea.
“This is consistent with the Obama Administration’s policies of not enforcing immigration laws except against people who commit serious felonies here in the United States,” Mehlman argued.
Mehlman says he’s not surprised that the move is being made.
“We have allowed the system to be tied up in knots. You have huge case loads in the system right now,” Mehlman stated.
While Quan says this would weed out the more serious cases and make them priority, Mehlman says it would send the message that illegal immigrants can here stay as long as they want if they keep their noses clean.
