Nolan writes:
. . . .
But are California’s sanctuary laws really protecting them from being deported?
According to a report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts have been hurt by pushback from California and cities such as Chicago, New York, and Boston that have sanctuary policies.
Sanctuary policies prevent local police departments from turning inmates over to ICE when they are released from custody, which has resulted in returning some dangerous criminal aliens to the community.
ICE had to change its enforcement operations from taking custody of aliens at police stations to looking for undocumented aliens in the community, which resulted in arresting approximately 40,000 noncriminal aliens in FY 2017.
The main obstacle to deporting removeable aliens is the immigration court backlog crisis.
According to TRAC Immigration, as of the end of April 2017, when the backlog was 585,930 cases, most aliens were waiting around 670 days for a hearing.
At a panel discussion last year on the backlog, Immigration Judge Larry Burman said:
“I cannot give you a merits hearing on my docket unless I take another case off. My docket is full through 2020, and I was instructed by my assistant chief immigration judge not to set any cases past 2020.”
From April 2017 to April 2018, the backlog for the immigration courts in California increased by almost 20 percent to 692,298 cases.
These lengthy wait times make it necessary to release newly arrested aliens until hearings can be scheduled for them, which gives them time to disappear into the shadows.
Conclusion.
Apparently, the main beneficiaries of California’s sanctuary policies are deportable aliens in police custody who otherwise would be turned over to ICE when they are released and unscrupulous employers who exploit undocumented immigrant workers.
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Go on over to The Hill to read Nolan’s complete article! this article also was featured on ImmigrationProf Blog.
PWS
05-28-18
I need to correct an error in my article. Its in one of the sentences Paul quotes, “From April 2017 to April 2018, the backlog for the immigration courts in California increased by almost 20 percent to 692,298 cases.”
That backlog number is for the entire nation, not just from the courts in California.
Thanks for the correction, Nolan!
Best,
P