A federal court Jan. 18Â blocked nearly all of a previous Trump administration rule that would have drastically increased fees in immigration proceedings in which the government seeks to deport immigrants, many of whom are long-term residents of this country.
The fee increase rule, originally scheduled to have taken effect Jan. 19, would have increased the filing fees for applications, appeals and motions in removal proceedings by as much as nearly 800 percent.
The substantial increases would have immediately denied access to justice for economically disadvantaged individuals seeking a fair day in court, according to an American Immigration Council news release.
The American Immigration Council, the National Immigration Law Center and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher challenged the rule.
Joe Biden s Reversal of Donald Trump Immigration Policies Doesn t Satisfy Migrant-Rights Advocates
By Gabriel Thompson
On 1/19/21 at 1:02 PM EST
This story is co-published with Capital & Main
In 2011, then-President Barack Obama held a roundtable with Latino journalists at the White House, where they pressed him on his reluctance, given the deadlocked Congress, to wield the administrative powers of his office on behalf of immigrants. We live in a democracy, Obama chastised the group, arguing that his hands were tied. You have to pass bills through the legislature, and then I can sign it.
In fact, as Obama would finally demonstrate in his second term when he enacted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and a scaled back Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the administrative powers of the executive branch relating to immigration are enormous, a lesson President Donald Trump has certainly underscored during the past four years.
Immigrant Groups Sue Trump Administration Over “Last Ditch” Rule Change
arrow A 2018 protest in lower Manhattan against ICE, family separations and US border policies. M Stan Reaves/Shutterstock
With just over a week to go before the end of the Trump Administration, immigration advocates filed a federal lawsuit in the Washington, D.C. district court against a Department of Justice rule they claim would create “devastating” new barriers to those with cases in immigration court.
The rule, which was announced in December, is set to take effect on Friday. It is being challenged by five immigration advocacy organizations around the country, including Brooklyn Defender Services.
Several Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Immigration Courts Fee Increase, Access to Justice indiawest.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indiawest.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.