El Paso (AP) – U.S. officials say they will fast-track the immigration court cases of families arriving on the southern border. The move comes comes as the Biden administration has eased some asylum restrictions that had expelled many arriving immigrant families from the country. Under the plan, immigrant families stopped on the border could be placed in expedited immigration court dockets in 10 cities including El Paso. Immigration judges would aim to decide their cases within 300 days of an initial hearing. The immigration courts are notoriously backlogged, and it can take years for immigrants to get a decision on whether they can remain in the country legally.
In addition to El Paso the accelerated court docket is being introduced in Denver; Detroit; Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, New Jersey; San Diego, San Francisco; and Seattle.