"On a recent Wednesday in Judge John J. Siemietkowski's immigration courtroom at 26 Federal Plaza, an Ecuadorian mother logged on for her immigration hearing. The court was well prepared for remote work. Lawyers waited patiently in their Webex boxes to unmute themselves and talk. The judge periodically toggled a device to point the camera toward others in the low-ceilinged, windowless room. He led the virtual participants in a round of applause to thank a translator appearing from North Carolina."
"In fear of being arrested by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in the courthouse hallway, now happening commonly in New York, many immigrants have begged to do their hearings online from home. Yet even that temporary protection from deportation is now under threat. Interviews with court personnel and attorneys indicate a top-down pressure from the Trump administration toward in-person hearings, with fateful results. It's the latest battlefront in the city's immigration courts, which have become "the capital of immigration courthouse arrests.""
"One such case involved a Venezuelan family, whose request for a virtual hearing was turned down, according to Buckel. The husband was taken away when he showed up at court, leaving behind a pregnant wife and child.Buckel runs a clinic trying to help people switch to virtual appearances for exactly this reason, but it's not easy: Advocacy and legal groups including Legal Aid have gathered information on 39 immigration judges in the city and found that only 19 will consider allowing lawyerless people to appear online."
Many New York immigration courtrooms are equipped for remote hearings, with judges and lawyers using Webex and remote translators. Some judges still require in-person appearances, forcing immigrants to risk courthouse ICE arrests. Immigrants and attorneys have sought virtual hearings to avoid arrest but face denials and top-down pressure toward in-person appearances from the Trump administration. Several detainees have been arrested after being ordered to appear in person. Advocacy and legal groups including Legal Aid have gathered information on 39 immigration judges in the city and found that only 19 will consider allowing lawyerless people to appear online. Judge policies vary widely.
Read at Intelligencer
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