Fairness, Efficiency and Professionalism Needed in Immigration Courts

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 17, 2010 — “Ensuring a fair and effective system for adjudicating immigration cases is in the interest of both the government and individuals within the system,” noted the American Bar Association in written testimony to the House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law.

The oral testimony, presented by the ABA Commission on Immigration Chair Karen T. Grisez, outlined the findings of a comprehensive study released earlier this year by the association, “Reforming the Immigration System: Proposals to Promote Independence, Fairness, Efficiency and Professionalism in the Adjudication of Removal Cases.”   The ABA advocates for the creation of an independent body to adjudicate immigration cases, but appreciates that implementation of such an entity may take a number of years to implement.  Thus, in the near term the association suggests several incremental reforms that it believes could be implemented to improve the system.

Among the recommendations, as outlined by Grisez, are: filling vacant immigration judge positions, providing sufficient funding to train judges, ensuring adequate supervision and discipline of judges, as well as developing a standard of review by the Board of Immigration Appeals and making the Board of Immigration Appeals independent from the attorney general’s office.

A full copy of the prepared testimony is available online:  http://www.abanet.org/poladv/letters/intlaw/2010jun17_immreview_t.pdf

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

- 30 -