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NPR
February 23, 2015

Immigration Courts 'Operating In Crisis Mode,' Judges Say
By Richard Gonzales


The Obama administration has proposed hiring more immigration judges, but that request is hung up in Congress. As the delays mount, the immigration court system faces other problems. By prioritizing the cases of the unaccompanied minors, the administration fast-tracked their court hearings, creating a shortage of lawyers as legal service providers are swamped with cases. According to federal records collected by Syracuse University, there are roughly 60,000 unaccompanied minors in the courts. Less than 30 percent have lawyers. Without a lawyer, a minor has a very slim chance of staying in this country.


Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University
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