ACLU Comment on White House Plan to Impose Numeric Performance Standards on Immigration Judges

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is taking steps to impose numeric performance standards on federal immigration judges, according to The Washington Post.

Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union, issued the following statement:

“The immigration court system provides immigrants facing deportation with their day in court — their chance to argue why they have a legal case to stay in the United States. The Trump administration, once again, is seeking to destroy fundamental American values — in this case, the constitutional right to due process. If implemented, this policy would undermine any semblance of a fair and impartial court process intended to serve as a basic check on the Department of Homeland Security’s draconian detention and deportation goals.

“Pure and simple, a quota system would prioritize numbers over justice and would imperil fair process — at the expense of hundreds of thousands of immigrants the government seeks to deport. Many immigrants fighting their deportation have the right to remain in the United States. The attorney general is stacking the deck unfairly against them. We urge the Department of Justice to reverse course immediately and allow immigration judges to do their jobs without interference.”