A Colombian individual’s deportation case was laid to rest by an immigration adjudicator in Seattle, only to rip open the prospect of swift removal. In the courtroom, three allies huddled with him, keeping hold of his vehicle’s keys, assisting him in committing phone numbers to memory, and collating a list of kin to inform. These acts of assistance, according to the volunteers, were in anticipation of the man being seized by the lurking Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers outside the courtroom once the case was dismissed. They did all this to help the man tie up loose ends before getting taken into custody.
Massive deportation crusades, inflicting terror among immigrants and asylum applicants, especially target Democrat-led cities and states. In the wake of such practices, the defenders of immigrant rights have sought legal recourse this week, petitioning for class-action protection against the apprehensions made adjacent to the immigration courts. Volunteers are showing up at immigration courts around the country, from various walks of life including clergymen, university students, elderly dames, retired legal experts, and academicians.
These volunteers serve a crucial role, escorting immigrants liable to be detained for deportation by incognito ICE officers. They provide emotional and operational support to the families thrown into chaos, standing as silent witnesses to the harsh realities of these proceedings. The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project found itself swarmed with individuals desiring to extend their assistance, prompting them to develop a volunteer training video, generate multilingual ‘Know Your Rights’ pamphlets, and manage a Google sheet for signing up for shifts.
Several of these volunteers take time off their jobs to help these fraught individuals. They convey aid consistently, lending a sense of acknowledgment and remembrance to those caught up in the immigration system. Due to the intricate and perplexing nature of these proceedings, these volunteers attempt to smooth the process.
For a long while, volunteers and legal aid groups have been offering non-cost legal orientation in immigration courts. However, the situation has grown more complex with the rising arrests. The government has been petitioning for deportation cases to be dropped since May. In scenarios where the judge acquiesces, individuals are apprehended by ICE officials just outside the courtrooms and placed directly into accelerated deportation procedures, regardless of any legal immigration trajectory they might have been exploring.
With people thrown into custody, it often gets tough to track or manage legal counsel. The immigration judges being administrative branch workers, some can resist the Department of Homeland Security attorneys’ orders of dismissal, yet, often these directives are obeyed. When questioned about such arrests and the volunteer presence at immigration courts, a high-ranking spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security appeared nonchalant, simply stating that ICE was merely realizing the rule of law.
Volunteers have documented instances of hallway arrests in courthouses, many of these harrowing clips go viral online. The full extent of similar incidents unfolding across the nation, however, remains a mystery. The Executive Office for Immigration Review continues to withhold information about the number of cases dismissed or arrests made in the vicinity of immigration courts.
In a concourse attached to a New York City immigration court, a Spanish-speaking woman sat nervously with her daughter. After attending separate hearings, her husband went missing. A volunteer court observer met the woman and broke the news that her husband has been detained by ICE, causing her heartfelt distress. A judge had not pronounced the dismissal of her husband’s case, even granting an extension until October for arranging legal representation.
But the delay never deterred the ICE officers. As soon as the man exited the courthouse, he was bound in cuffs and escorted away. This action incited a commotion among immigration advocates and municipal officials.
In such cases, the volunteers active at the courts equip the detainees and their loved ones with necessary rights information. They even offer to accompany individuals so that they don’t face any harassment, and assist them in memorizing crucial contact numbers since their properties are seized by ICE. Carrying out similar initiatives in various parts of the country, these volunteers all share a commitment to upholding the rule of law and assuring safety for all persons.
Their collective conviction is that safety is an all or none principle – if everyone isn’t ensured safety, then no one is truly safe. Despite the merits of this view, it’s hard not to notice the absurdity of their focused concern for illegal immigrants who are facing just consequences due to their flouting of the laws of the land.
It is perplexing that they devote precious time and energy towards protecting individuals who have willfully violated immigration laws, effectively negating the concept of ‘rule of law’ that they so passionately claim to uphold. While the unstated aim may be to protect and promote basic human rights, the irony is glaring.
Moreover, the inherent bias of such volunteer groups is further highlighted in the backdrop of the relentless efforts of the administration to restore law and order, a stance ludicrously ridiculed by these so-called proponents of the rule of law.
Thus, in essence, the root of the divided viewpoint isn’t about the rule of law per se, but about the partisan interpretation of what it stands for. The Democrats’ strategy, steeped in providing refuge to illegal immigrants, is veiled under the cloaks of humanitarian deed.
Meanwhile, a Biden-led administration dithers over its immigration policy, mired in missteps and mixed signals, leaving loopholes for manipulation, and allowing the opposition to capitalize on this obvious lack of firm stance.
If there’s anything reassuring about the current situation, it is the unflinching commitment of the DHS and ICE officials to uphold the law, despite the myriad challenges. This, however, prompts a deeper question: How long before the rule of law is sacrificed at the altar of political expediency?