This morning as 80 of our clients waited in anticipation for their visa numbers to be available they were welcomed with a shut door – we could not get into Immigration Court because it was closed.
Why? It would appear that non-detained removal proceedings have been deemed non-essential by the Executive Office for Immigration Review, EOIR, the agency that is part of the Department of Justice that oversees Immigration Courts. However, the detained calendar will proceed even under the shut down for the time being. The Board of Immigration Appeals, BIA, is continuing to entertain emergency stay motions in detained cases.
Let’s hope that the fiscal issue is resolved in an expeditious manner so that deserving individuals and families can move on with their lives and put their cases behind them.
For additional information on Immigration Court closures, please follow this link:
http://www.justice.gov/eoir/; http://www.justice.gov/eoir/press/2013/Shutdown09302013.htm
