Thread by @immcouncil

THREAD: Our Advocacy Manager just arrived back from the secretive tent immigration courts in Laredo Port.

Here are 5 major concerns we observed.

1. Advocates and attorneys are only being allowed into one hearing room.

There are multiple other courtrooms that remain closed off to the public. This violates DOJ regulations requiring immigration hearings to generally be open to the public.

2. Attorneys and others continue to be denied access to observing individual merits hearings, even where the immigrant consents to their presence.

3. Officials employed by a private security firm—Ahtna—are the only people tent court visitors interact with.

However, Ahtna personnel are unable to provide any information on dockets, judges, etc.

There is a lack of accountability on who is making/enforcing these rules.

4. Judges, government attorneys, and others talk amongst themselves in court without interpretation—sometimes on matters related to the immigration case before them.

Immigrants are unable to understand what is being discussed, even though it could relate to their ability to stay in the U.S. and seek humanitarian relief.

This disadvantages all immigrants going through these hearings—particularly 96% of those who are unrepresented by counsel.

5. The immigration court hearings at the Laredo and Brownsville tent courts are conducted by Video Teleconference.

Volumes of evidence shows that immigrants are gravely disadvantaged when they are required to present their case over VTC.