Posted on 12/29/2019 7:21:07 AM PST by karpov
The Department of Homeland Security is opening makeshift immigration tent courts erected along the U.S.-Mexico border to the public, following months of criticism over a lack of transparency.
The department established two such border courts—rows of shipping containers beneath large wedding-style tents—at ports of entry in Brownsville and Laredo, Texas, late this summer. Unlike regular immigration courts and most others across the country, journalists, advocates and other members of the public weren’t permitted to enter.
The new acting secretary of the department, Chad Wolf, asked staff after assuming his position in November whether it was feasible to open the courts to the public, a senior DHS official said late Friday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the structures, issued guidance last week instructing officers on the ground in Texas to allow journalists and other members of the public inside to observe proceedings. Visitors still may be required to register, but they won’t need advance permission to enter a tent-court facility, the senior official said.
“In an effort to ensure consistency, clarity, and transparency, the acting secretary directed the components to formalize guidance for public access to these facilities, consistent with immigration courts across the country,” said Heather Swift, a DHS spokeswoman.
CBP officials didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The courts were set up late this summer to process the growing number of migrants placed in the government’s “Remain in Mexico” program, under which asylum seekers are required to live in Mexico while their cases make their way through the courts. As of early December, more than 54,000 migrants had been placed in the program, according to DHS.
Immigration courts are overseen by the Executive Office for Immigration Review, a Justice Department agency.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
The New York Times and other leftist outlets will likely send reporters to the tent courts. It would be good if other outlets do too and report fairly on how they operate.
Why post a PAYWALL at WSJ?
Because 300 words is better than nothing, and because important stories will sometimes come from sources that some Freepers don't like.
You mean those “concentration camps”? Where’s AOC?
Gee, be a shame if someone accidentally latched up one of those shipping containers while it was full of “reporters”.
I'll make the same suggestion to you as I did to another posters yesterday about a NYT article being posted.
Skip any threads which have a WSJ source.
It will relieve you from having to bitch about it, and the rest of us from being exposed to your bitching.
Everyone will be happy.
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