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Justice Department Watchdog Reviewing Decision to Keep Immigration Courts Open During Pandemic

CNN reports that the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General is reviewing the Trump administration’s decision to keep the nation’s immigration courts open while COVID-19 swept through the United States. EOIR came under criticism from immigration judges, attorneys, and ICE prosecutors for proceeding with immigration hearings despite social distancing guidelines and shelter-in-place orders

Deportations from the U.S. are driving up COVID-19 cases in Guatemala.

According to Guatemala’s health minister, flights arriving with deportees from the U.S. have increased the amount of confirmed cases of COVID-19. In one flight, 50-75% of deportees tested positive for the coronavirus. Additionally, the U.S. has allegedly been noncompliant with a request to have only 25 passengers per plane. As a result, Guatemala has expanded COVID-19 testing of those deportee arrivals.

Judge Orders ICE to Consider Releasing All Immigrants at Risk of Dying if Infected by Coronavirus

CBS News reports that yesterday, a federal judge in California ordered ICE to actively and rapidly review the cases of all detained immigrants at increased risk of severe illness or death if they contract the coronavirus and determine whether they should be released. Coronavirus cases among the more than 31,000 immigrants held by ICE surged to 220 on Monday, with the agency reporting 96 new cases across the country. Join the Immigration Justice Campaign in calling on Congress to demand that ICE take steps to stem the spread of COVID-19 in detention facilities.

NAIJ Submits Motion to File Amicus Brief in Lawsuit Against ICE and EOIR for Handling of Immigration Cases During COVID-19 Crisis

The National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ) submitted a motion to file an amicus brief in NIPNLG, et. al. v. EOIR, et. al., a case filed by AILA, the Immigration Justice Campaign, the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG), and several detained individuals challenging EOIR’s operation of in-person immigration court hearings and ICE’s conditions of confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Law360 reports that, according to the NAIJ, more than half of the immigration courts nationwide have so far reported contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients or contact with individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Plaintiffs also submitted a supplemental brief in support of their emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in the case.

Today’s COVID-19 Roundup

Today, the CDC published a notice of a new order extending the suspension of entry of certain persons traveling from Canada and Mexico through land ports of entry (POEs) through May 20, 2020. CBP also published notices continuing temporary travel restrictions for land POEs on the U.S. border with Canada and the U.S. border with Mexico.

Immigration lawyers have sued to demand paused visa deadlines

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, it has been difficult for immigration lawyers to meet with their clients, gather evidence, and complete visa petitions. Though USCIS has recently waived fingerprinting requirements and relaxed some evidence deadlines, many deadlines are still in place.

CBP has 160 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

On April 6, U.S. Customs and Border Protection disclosed that it has 160 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Those infected include customs officers and border patrol agents, but there is no existing breakdown on how many infected had jobs where they had contact with the public.