THE GIBSON REPORT — 06-21-21 — Compiled By Elizabeth Gibson, Esquire, NY Legal Assistance Group! — Lots Of Interesting Items Under “Top News,” Some Good, Some Not So Much!

Elizabeth Gibson
Elizabeth Gibson
Attorney, NY Legal Assistance Group
Publisher of “The Gibson Report”

TOP NEWS

 

The Justice Department Overturns Policy That Limited Asylum For Survivors Of Violence

NPR: In a pair of decisions announced Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland is vacating several controversial legal rulings issued by his predecessors — in effect, restoring the possibility of asylum protections for women fleeing from domestic violence in other countries, and families targeted by violent gangs.

 

Advocates mark DACA’s 9th anniversary, urge Congress to act

AP: A pending federal court case in Texas is challenging whether the program’s creation was legal. If the challenge is successful, it could end protections, adding urgency to those pressing Congress for a more lasting solution.

 

White House eyes ending migrant family expulsion by July 31

Axios: The policy known as Title 42 has resulted in tens of thousands of migrant family members, including asylum seekers, being sent away — as well as thousands of kids then separating from their families to cross into the United States alone.

 

U.S. speeds visas for vulnerable Afghans as pullout looms, but Congress wants more

Reuters: As the U.S. military completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan in the coming weeks, the Biden administration says it is adding staff to hurry up the visa process for Afghans who worked for the U.S. government and want to flee to avoid Taliban reprisals.

 

NYC’s Latino Leaders Split Over the Best Mayoral Candidate for Immigrants

CityLimits: As they continue on the campaign trail, contenders of both parties who remain in the race speak openly about citizens’ concerns, such as crime, police reform, affordable housing, education, health, jobs and the Big Apple’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Latino voters, however, still feel that they have not heard concrete proposals regarding immigrants.

 

ICE Discussed Punishing Immigrant Advocates For Peaceful Protests

Intercept: Internal ICE records and emails, as well as a deposition by an ICE officer in a court case, show the agency referring to an advocacy group as a “known adversary” and closely surveilling the immigration and civil rights activists’ activities, both online and in person.

 

Desperate for Covid Care, Undocumented Immigrants Resort to Unproven Drugs

NYT: Health and consumer protection agencies have repeatedly warned that several of these treatments, as well as vitamin infusions and expensive injections of “peptide therapies” sold at alternative wellness clinics for more than $1,000, are not supported by reliable scientific evidence.

 

Biden Signals Big Changes to Legal Immigration and Asylum Law with Spring Regulatory Agenda

AIC: Although not every proposed rule put on the agenda will end up being finalized, the agenda signals an administration’s priorities and its goals for pursuing changes to our immigration system through executive action.

 

LITIGATION/CASELAW/RULES/MEMOS

 

DOJ Vacates Matter of A-B- and Matter of A-B-II

DOJ vacated Matter of A-B- and Matter of A-B-II and stated that immigration judges and the BIA should no longer follow these decisions when adjudicating pending or future cases. Matter of A-B-, 28 I&N Dec. 307 (A.G. 2021) AILA Doc. No. 21061639

 

DOJ Vacates Matter of L-E-A- II

DOJ vacated Matter of L-E-A- II in its entirely and immigration judges and the BIA should no longer follow Matter of L-E-A- II when adjudicating pending and future cases. Matter of L-E-A-, 28 I&N Dec. 304 (A.G. 2021)AILA Doc. No. 21061640

 

OIL Memo: Impact of Attorney General decisions in Matter of L-E-A-and Matter of A-B-

AAG: Please review any pending cases that may be affected by the Attorney General’s vacatur of L-E-A-II, A-B-I,  and A-B-II and take appropriate steps in light of that development, including seeking remands in appropriate cases to allow the Board to reconsider asylum claims based on this change in the law.

 

CA2 Certifies Question of Whether New York Petit Larceny Constitutes a CIMT to State Court of Appeals

The court certified to New York State Court of Appeals the question of whether an intent to “appropriate” property requires an intent to deprive the owner of property permanently or under circumstances where their property rights are substantially eroded. (Ferreiras Veloz v. Garland, 6/7/21) AILA Doc. No. 21061635

 

3rd Circ. Won’t Halt Deportation Of Jamaican Woman

Law360: A split Third Circuit panel on Thursday refused to halt deportation proceedings for a Jamaican woman who pled guilty to defrauding the elderly in a lottery scam, ruling in a precedential decision that she didn’t prove she was likely to face retribution from the scam’s ringleader if sent back to her native country.

 

CA5 Says Government May Revoke Citizenship of Former Salvadoran Military Officer Involved in Extrajudicial Killings

The court held that although the defendant, a former military officer, refused to shoot civilians during the Salvadorian Civil War, the fact that he “assisted” and “participated in the commission of” extrajudicial killings permitted his denaturalization. (United States v. Vasquez, 6/11/21) AILA Doc. No. 21061737

 

CA6 Says IJs and BIA Have Authority to Grant Administrative Closure to Allow Noncitizens to Apply for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver

The court concluded that 8 CFR §212.7(e)(4)(iii), together with 8 CFR §§1003.10(b) and 1003.1(d)(1)(ii), gives IJs and the BIA the authority for administrative closure to permit noncitizens to apply for and receive provisional unlawful presence waivers. (Garcia-DeLeon v. Garland, 6/4/21) AILA Doc. No. 21061634

 

CA6 Holds That Petitioner Failed to Show Prejudice Due to Immigration Court’s Procedural Error of Improper Change of Venue

The court found that while the Memphis Immigration Court violated procedural rules in transferring the petitioner’s hearing to the Louisville Immigration Court, that violation was a procedural question relating to venue, not jurisdiction to hear the case. (Tobias-Chaves v. Garland, 6/8/21) AILA Doc. No. 21061636

 

CA9 Remands Case Involving Defective NTA Under Pereira in Light of Recent Supreme Court Decision

The court granted the petition for review and remanded the case to the BIA in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Niz-Chavez v. Garland. (Lorenzo Lopez v. Garland, 6/8/21) AILA Doc. No. 21061643

 

CA9 Reverses Denial of Deferral of Removal Where BIA Improperly Engaged in De Novo Review

The court held that the BIA erred by reviewing the IJ’s decision de novo rather than for clear error, and found that the record established that the petitioner had met her burden to show it was more likely than not she would be tortured if removed to Mexico. (Soto-Soto v. Garland, 6/11/21) AILA Doc. No. 21061644

 

10th Circ. Says Samoan Citizenship Question Not For Courts

Law360: A split Tenth Circuit panel on Tuesday reversed a Utah federal judge’s order finding that American Samoans are birthright U.S. citizens, holding that the issue belongs in the hands of Congress, not the courts.

 

11th Circ. Says Rules Require New Review Of Asylum Bid

Law360: In a decision that established several court precedents, the Eleventh Circuit has revived a Sri Lankan man’s bid for asylum, ruling that both an immigration judge and the Board of Immigration Appeals failed to properly reconsider his asylum application after allowing him to stay in the United States.

 

DC Circ. Says Asylum Policies Beyond Its Purview

Law360: The D.C. Circuit ruled Friday that it lacks jurisdiction to revive asylum-seekers’ challenge to how border officers carry out a policy that requires migrants to seek protections in other countries they pass en route to the U.S.

 

Resources Related to Lawsuit Challenging New DHS Asylum EAD Rules

AILA: DHS filed a motion for partial summary judgment in district court on all the plaintiffs’ claims regarding the 30-day timeline repeal rule, which was published on June 22, 2020.

 

DHS Asks Judge Not To Impose Asylum Work Permit Deadline

Law360: The Biden administration has asked a Maryland federal judge to keep intact a Trump-era asylum work rule that gives the U.S. Department of Homeland Security more time to process work permits, saying the increased flow of asylum-seekers justifies the change.

 

Migrants Fault USCIS Interpretation Of 10-Year Entry Ban

Law360: Three Mexican nationals have asked a Colorado federal court to declare that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services unlawfully denied their green card applications by finding them inadmissible under a 10-year bar on reentering the United States up to 20 years after they left the country.

 

USCIS Updates Policy Manual on the Bona Fide Determination Process for Victims of Qualifying Crimes and EADs and Deferred Action for Certain Petitioners

USCIS provided guidance in the Policy Manual on employment authorization and deferred action for principal petitioners for U nonimmigrant status and qualifying family members with pending, bona fide petitioners. Comments and feedback is due by July 14, 2021. AILA Doc. No. 21061433

 

DHS and DOS Issue Joint Statement on Expansion of Access to the Central American Minors Program

DHS and DOS issued a joint statement on the second phase of the Central American Minors (CAM) program’s reopening. Eligibility now includes legal guardians and parents and U.S.-based parents or legal guardians with pending asylum application or pending U visa petition filed before 5/15/21. AILA Doc. No. 21061631

 

RESOURCES

 

 

EVENTS

 

 

ImmProf

 

Monday, June 21, 2021

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Friday, June 18, 2021

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Monday, June 14, 2021

 

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Thanks Elizabeth! As previously noted, I remain skeptical of Biden Administration plans to “reform” asylum law without bringing in the progressive human rights experts who can handle the job! 

Most needed “reforms” — like bringing in progressive judges, replacing the BIA, bringing in progressive managers and executives, slashing the largely self-created EOIR backlog, working with NGOs to provide universal representation to asylum seekers and other vulnerable individuals, eliminating unnecessary detention, issuing positive precedents to guide IJs and Asylum Officers, bringing on more Asylum Officers and offering them better training (see, e.g., VIISTA @ Villanova), restoring Administrative Closing, implementing e-filing at EOIR, expanding the Central American Minors Program and other refugee programs in Central America, and many others are “hiding in plain sight.” 

The “blueprints” are already about there — in bulk! All that’s missing is the dynamic new progressive leadership to implement them and insure compliance. 

Also, as I’ve pointed out before, no Administration in history has had the benefit of so much empirical data, practical scholarship, and “ready for prime time” workable solutions for such well-documented and glaring problems. The asylum and EOIR “fixes” are both highly doable and can produce immediate positive results with more to follow! 

But, not necessarily the way the Biden Administration is going about it, with far too many of those needed to turn “rhetoric into reality” still on sidelines in the private sector. In the meantime, folks who have already proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they can’t fix the system remain in key positions.

For Pete’s sake, several of my Georgetown Law students rattled off some of these solutions in class yesterday, and asked me why nobody was working on them. I told them I couldn’t figure out why the Biden Administration was so “slow on the uptake” with so many resources and experts out here in the private sector!

One of my most obvious ideas — hire my three colleagues, Georgetown Professors Phil Schrag, Andy Schoenholtz, and Temple Associate Dean Jaya Ramji-Nogales who recently wrote “instant immigration classic” The End of Asylum and earlier wrote the classic “bad government” expose Refugee Roulette — on a six month consulting contract to come in and fix EOIR and the Asylum Office.  

It’s not so much regulatory reform that’s needed (although to be sure improvements can be made), but rather bringing in progressive leadership and better judges in key positions at DHS, DOJ, and EOIR to insure that due process is maximized, best practices are instituted, and recalcitrant personnel still committed to the Trump/Miller White Nationalist agenda are placed in other jobs where they can’t overtly damage our justice system.

Not “rocket science!” 🚀 But, it’s not going to be solved by a “regulatory agenda” either! 

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-23-21

🆘 HELP! — THE U.S. ASYLUM & REFUGEE SYSTEMS ARE KAPUT ☠️⚰️ — WITHOUT LEGISLATION! — THANKS TO TRUMP, STEPHEN MILLER, & A FAILED SUPREME COURT — THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S APPROACH TO DATE HAS BEEN INEPT, AT BEST, STARTING WITH JUDGE GARLAND’S INEXCUSABLE FAILURE TO REPLACE MILLER’S ANTI-ASYLUM “JUDGES” @ THE BEYOND DYSFUNCTIONAL EOIR WITH COMPETENT EXPERT JUDGES COMMITTED TO RE-ESTABLISHING THE RULE OF LAW FOR REFUGEES — “Tune In” To Georgetown Law’s Expert Panel Discussing My Colleague Phil Schrag’s Latest Hard-Hitting Expose Of America’s Failing Justice System: “The End of Asylum”

Georgetown Law
Georgetown Law
Professor Philip G. Schrag
Professor Philip G. Schrag
Georgetown Law
Co-Director, CALS Asylum Clinic
Professor Andrew Schoenholtz
Professor from Practice; Director, Human Rights Institute; Director, Center for Applied Legal Studies
PHOTO: GeorgetownLaw
Professor Jaya Ramji-Nogales
Professor Jaya Ramji-NogalesAssociate Dean for Academic Affairs
I. Herman Stern Research Professor
Temple Law
PHOTO: Temple Law

 

 

https://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/live-virtual-event-on-the-end-of-asylum/

 

Live Virtual Event on “The End of Asylum”

APRIL 1, 2021

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, April 15, 2021, three law professors from Georgetown Law and Temple University will discuss their new book, The End of Asylum, the Trump administration’s legacy on asylum policy, and where the Biden administration goes from here.

WHAT

Migration at the southern border and asylum are again front page news. The Biden administration claims that mounting numbers of children and families in immigration detention facilities and shelters is attributable to the Trump administration’s destruction of the asylum system. In their new book, The End of Asylum, three law professors analyze the nature, scope, and lawlessness of that destruction and the end of the promise that Congress made, in the Refugee Act of 1980, to welcome migrants who feared persecution abroad. They also propose steps that the Biden administration can take, both alone and in cooperation with Congress, to restore and improve a robust system of asylum in America.

The event is co-sponsored by Online and On Topic, Georgetown School of Foreign Service; Migration and Refugee Policy Initiative, Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy; Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration; and Temple University Beasley School of Law.

WHO

Philip G. Schrag
Georgetown Law Delaney Family Professor of Public Interest Law; Co-Director, Center for Applied Legal Studies (Georgetown Law’s asylum clinic)

Andrew I. Schoenholtz
Gerogetown Law Professor from Practice; Director of the Human Rights Institute and Co-Director of Center for Applied Legal Studies at Georgetown Law

Jaya Ramji-Nogales
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the I. Herman Stern Research Professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law

Al Bertrand (moderator)
Director of Georgetown University Press

WHEN

Thursday, April 15, 2021
3:00 – 4:30 pm EDT

WHERE

Please RSVP for the Zoom Webinar.


Georgetown University Law Center is a global leader in legal education based in the heart of the U.S. capital. As the nation’s largest law school, Georgetown Law offers students an unmatched breadth and depth of academic opportunities taught by a world-class faculty of celebrated theorists and leading legal practitioners. Second to none in experiential education, the Law Center’s numerous clinics are deeply woven into the Washington, D.C., landscape. Close to 20 centers and institutes forge cutting-edge research and policy resources across fields including health, the environment, human rights, technology, national security and international economics. Georgetown Law equips students to succeed in a rapidly evolving legal environment and to make a profound difference in the world, guided by the school’s motto, “Law is but the means, justice is the end.”

 

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Great panel! Great book!

Only one major problem: Phil, Andy, Jaya, and others like them should be running EOIR & the BIA by now, putting their “practical scholarship” and organizational skills into action to reform this disgracefully dysfunctional, life and democracy-threatening system and to restore due process, professional competence, and the rule of law to the U.S. Immigration Courts where it has disappeared!

As I’ve said many time before: It’s not rocket science, 🚀 but it has (quite avoidably) become “mission impossible” with the indolent, tone-deaf, approach that Judge Garland and his team have exhibited at the DOJ to date. Par for the course in Dem Administrations. But, bad news for those of  us who believe in due process,  social justice, and equal justice for all persons in America. (Hey, isn’t that right out of the Constitution?)
It’s like nobody in the Biden Adminhistration ever toured the “St. Louis Exhibit” or the exhibits in the “German Judiciary” sections of the Holocaust Museum. Perhaps Judge Garland and others need a “VIP Tour,” after hours!

🇺🇸⚖️🗽Due Process Forever!

 

DISCLAIMER: My views as expressed above are solely my own and do not represent the position of any of the panelists, Georgetown Law, or any person or entity, living or dead, of any importance whatsoever!

PWS
04-14-21