The pandemic has changed our way of life in every facet, and the court system is not immune to that change. As you might know, immigration courts here have not been open, but that’s all about to change.
We’ve just learned that immigration courts in San Antonio are set to reopen right after the 4th of July holiday weekend on July 6th.
We’re already into June, and July will be here before you know it. So, what do you need to know if you have an upcoming immigration court date? Let’s cover a few items.
Courts Are Open, Somewhat
Yes, I know I just said that immigration courts in San Antonio are set to reopen, but it’s important to your case and future to understand that the courts will not be operating at full capacity. Only four immigration courts in San Antonio are going to open in July. Why is the decreased capacity of operational courts important to you? The trickle of cases into the court means more time to prepare a defense and look for policy change that can affect the outcome of your case—more on that later.
This small-scale court system means that the few judges who can preside over immigration cases will likely be focused on individual hearings, better known as removal hearings. This is the big one, the one most important to any undocumented person’s case and future.
If you have an upcoming case in immigration court scheduled for July and the months following, NOW is the time to speak with an experienced immigration attorney to build proper defense and strategy, as these final hearings will be most prevalent.
Possible Strategies
If you follow along with us on social media, you know we’ve spoken in-depth about the Niz-Chavez v. Garland decision, which can quite possibly shield thousands of immigrants from deportation. If your attorney has not gone over this possibility with you, please be sure to read up on this decision in our blog and put it on your list of items to cover in your next defense strategy meeting with your attorney. It’s a big one that could be a stepping stone to secure your future.
Another strategy that’s worth mentioning is more or less a “fingers crossed” situation, but it’s a real option. Remember how we mentioned a possible policy change that could significantly affect your case in your favor? This is what I mean. The Biden Administration is facing pressure to reverse many of the Trump-era immigration decisions. The more you can prolong the time before appearing in immigration court, the more likely it will be that immigration policies will change in your favor. Fingers crossed, time is on your side.
You want to keep an eye out for and continue following along with us to see change, specifically regarding Administrative Closure. What’s Administrative Closure? Administrative Closure is a process by which the government can agree with the attorney or the immigrant to pause their removal proceedings and place them outside of removal proceedings for all purposes, allowing the immigrant to remain in the U.S.
We’re very hopeful that the Biden Administration will reverse some of those tough, Trump-era immigration policies. We cannot stress to you enough the importance of having experienced immigration counsel when facing possible deportation.
In short, try to stay here as long as you can in hopes of a policy change and create a strong defense strategy with your immigration attorney. If you are unsure of your court date or are in other areas of Texas, you must check the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) to see the status of the immigration courts near you.
If you or someone you know has an upcoming immigration hearing and has questions or needs a defense strategy, please reach out to one of our trusted immigration attorneys here, and continue to follow along with us on social media as we update everyone on the immigration and criminal defense news that matters to you.