“The surge in arrivals of Central Americans at the border… was regularly described by politicians, pundits and the media as a ‘border crisis,’“ Mittelstadt said on Thursday. “In reality, if there was a crisis, it is with respect to… an immigration court system.”
MPI argued in a recently released report that US immigration courts are extremely under-resourced, and it can take more than two years for a case to appear before an immigration judge for a deportation hearing.
Mittelstadt pointed out that US border authorities have faced short-term challenges in terms of manpower and space to process illegal immigration cases.
The response of US President Barack Obama’s administration to establish special court dockets successfully checked the immediate immigration crisis, but it has not suggested any long-term solutions, according to the MPI.
The MPI has suggested that the Obama administration should invest in Central American security and economic development, as well as establish legal channels for the immigrants, among other measures.
US government spending on immigration enforcement increased about 300 percent between 2002 and 2013, but funding for immigration courts rose 70 percent, according to MPI data.
