American Bar Association: U.S. Immigration Courts Are ‘Irredeemably Dysfunctional’

The American Bar Association described immigration courts as “irredeemably dysfunctional” in a new report released Wednesday and called for the courts to be separated from the Justice Department. According to CNN, the report said the current immigration court system—which determines whether or not to deport immigrants—is on the “brink of collapse” and could be fixed by making them independent of the DOJ. The ABA reportedly claimed the courts are too focused on clearing the backlog of immigration cases swiftly rather than giving time for due process. The association also reportedly called into question the courts' independence, citing the “resurgence of alleged politicized hiring” and the enacting of “policies that arguably undermine immigration judges' ability to perform their role as a neutral arbitrator” during the Trump administration.