U.S. to ease some deportations to Mexico under settlement

Reuters ^ | Wednesday, August 27, 2014 | Alex Dobuzinskis

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. authorities have agreed to stop pressuring undocumented immigrants in Southern California to sign off on their own deportations under a legal settlement that may later allow some deportees to return from Mexico to seek U.S. legal residency, advocacy groups said on Wednesday.

The deal reached between the American Civil Liberties Union and federal officials stems from a lawsuit brought last year on behalf of other immigration rights groups and about 10 immigrants who accepted so-called "voluntary returns" to Mexico.

All of the immigrants had strong grounds for being allowed to remain in the United States after entering illegally because of family ties and a lack of criminal history, and they will now be permitted to present their claims in U.S. immigration court, ACLU attorneys said.

The settlement is limited in scope as most of reforms agreed to by U.S. immigration officials apply only in Southern California, where the ACLU documented what it said were deceptive and coercive practices dating back to 2009.

The reforms include allowing undocumented immigrants access to a telephone and two hours to reach a legal adviser before deciding whether to sign a voluntary return form waiving their rights to seek a hearing to challenge their deportation.

[Vigilanteman]

Who was it that remarked “What more do they want? Moving sidewalks?”?