NEW: DHS officials expect about 150 immigration judges across the US will be selected to handle cases involving asylum-seekers forced to remain in Mexico while their cases proceed.
One immigration court official said it could "wreak havoc" on US dockets.
buzzfeednews.com/article/hameda…
Around a dozen judges currently handle these cases currently and the cases can take months to get scheduled.
DHS officials hope to change that by opening up immigration hearing facilities at the border.
Officials plan to open two border courts in Texas — Laredo and Brownsville — by the middle of September, in which they will hear up to 20 cases per day, according to a government briefing document obtained by BuzzFeed News.
The cases heard at the border are expected to be conducted primarily via televideo, allowing for more judges across the country to be brought into the process.
Assistants will help organize the hearings by sending case documents to judges and operating the video systems.
At a San Diego court that has presided over “Remain in Mexico” cases, judges have been told to prioritize the hearings over others, according to a source. As a result, some immigrants who have waited for their previously-scheduled cases will likely have their hearings delayed.
@bowenjamil -- a former immigration judge:
“Those families have been waiting for years to have their cases heard, and now will wait another two or three years, and due process is denied by the delay — evidence becomes stale, witnesses die, country conditions change."
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