The current situation of the US borders

The Trump government, along with the government of Mexico, implemented an immigration policy in January 2019, called the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP).

This policy (commonly known as “Remain in Mexico”) states that immigrants who come to the US with the intention of applying for political asylum must remain in Mexico until they have a hearing with a local judge.

Thus, since this policy was implemented, more immigration courts have been enabled at the country’s borders and more judges are available to respond requests from immigrants under the MPP.

However, the massive outbreak of Coronavirus in the North American territory brought many sudden changes to the immigration sector and the courts suspended their face-to-face services, leaving asylum seekers in limbo and lengthening waiting times for immigration applications.

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The arrival of the pandemic and the immigration courts

In light of the COVID-19 threat, immigration courts and hearings have been on hold for more than two months and the official report of the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) states that there are approximately 1.2 million delayed immigration cases.

The USCIS explains that the global Coronavirus pandemic affected this figure, but that delays in immigration processes were already present a year ago due to restrictions and requirements implemented by the Trump administration.

Because of this substantial backlog, Texas decided to build another immigration court in Laredo, the only place on the border that still does not have immigration judges or asylum seeker services.

Laredo’s new court

Texas is the state with the most pending immigration cases. In fact, the waiting time can be up to two years for an opportunity to have a hearing in an immigration court at the southern borders of the country.

Therefore, the vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security announced that a new immigration court will open in Laredo and eight immigration judges will work there.

In addition to that, more than 100 immigration judges could be hired around the country during fiscal year 2021 (October-September) to speed up immigration processes and be able to respond to pending applications as quickly as possible.

If you need help with your Immigration Case, Motion Law can help you.

Positive news for immigrants

After multiple restrictions implemented by the Trump government in the immigration sector during the last couple of months, this news opens a door of hope and joy for thousands of asylum seekers waiting patiently in Mexico, under the MPP.

Multiple Texas courts have not resumed face-to-face services due to the health crisis, but the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that they should start answering immigration applications as soon as possible.

Therefore, it is the right time for you to start preparing the necessary documentation for your immigration process.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.