Immigration advocates are seeking answers after dozens of people received notices to appear in Orlando immigration court and arrived on October 31, 2018, to find that their cases were not on the Orlando docket. This represented a serious drain on time and energy for these immigrants, who were trying to remain in compliance with all legal requirements to resolve issues with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies. The issues apparently arose when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assigned dates to the notices to appear without consulting with the local court systems that were to hear the cases.

A Nationwide Problem

The issues experienced in the Orlando immigration court were not confined to our area. Courthouses across the United States, including those in Phoenix, Denver and Los Angeles, also reported that notices to appear had been issued by DHS without communication with the courts responsible for hearing those cases. This resulted in immigrants losing time from work, added legal fees and increased disruption for the immigration courts that had other cases scheduled for that day.

The Department of Justice Weighs In

In a response to these difficulties, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice indicated that these errors were unintentional and that they would be resolved, saying, “These errors will be resolved and will not prevent these cases from being docketed properly in a timely fashion.” The inconvenience, expense and worry caused to the immigrants who were mistakenly called to court on the incorrect date was not addressed by the Department of Justice or DHS.

Harsh Penalties for Failure to Appear

The lack of apology or accommodations offered to immigrants who were provided with the wrong date to appear in court is in sharp contrast to the harsh treatment dished out by immigration courts when immigrants fail to appear for hearings they may not even have been notified to attend. This situation highlights the need for a qualified Orlando immigration lawyer to navigate the obstacles currently being put in place for immigrants in our area.

Pozo Goldstein can provide you with the right Orlando immigration lawyer to resolve issues and to provide you with expert representation both in and out of court. Our team has outstanding expertise and includes two former immigration prosecutors and a former judge, allowing you to feel more confident about your case and the services we provide for you and your family. If you need an Orlando immigration lawyer, give us a call today at 407-956-4359 to schedule an in-office meeting with our attorneys. We look forward to the chance to meet you.