A Chicago immigration judge is hearing more deportation cases involving children who experienced violence, neglect or abandonment by their parents. Attorneys warn that hearings are being scheduled at very short intervals and that some of the minors could soon be sent back to their countries of origin, even though returning could put their safety at risk.
The Chicago judge is hearing cases of children from across the country
Immigration Judge Shawn Abraham has become the center of controversy after ordering the deportation of children from the Chicago area in August. All of them had previously been victims of abandonment, abuse or neglect by one or both parents.
Now similar cases from other parts of the United States are coming before his court. At Thursday’s hearings, more than a dozen cases involving children ages roughly 6 to 16 were heard. They included siblings and a child with autism.
The hearings were held by videoconference. Although reporters were present in the courtroom, the judge and the children took part remotely. Some of the youngest children were so small that they could not reach the microphone set up in front of the camera.
All of Thursday’s cases were postponed. However, the next hearing dates were set for as soon as a week or two from now.
Attorneys Fear Deportations Will Speed Up
Attorneys representing the minors point to the exceptionally fast pace of the proceedings. In some cases, hearing dates that had previously been planned months in advance were suddenly moved up to just a few days away.
The attorneys fear that at upcoming hearings the judge may order the deportation of more children. Some of the children also have asylum applications pending. Documents indicate that returning to their countries of origin could put them in danger.
The judge’s August decisions drew criticism from local politicians. Sen. Dick Durbin pointed out that the deported children do not belong to the category of the most dangerous criminals whom the administration had promised to remove from the country.
No Data on Deportations of Children
It is not known how many minors have been deported since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. The Department of Homeland Security said it does not keep deportation statistics broken down by age.
The cases of children heard by Judge Abraham once again draw attention to the situation of minors in immigration proceedings. Attorneys stress that for many of them, returning to their country of origin could involve a real threat.
Source: Polski.FM
