Trump’s Immigration Measures Could Exacerbate Boston Court Backlog

Boston’s federal immigration court has one of the largest backlogs of pending cases in the country, and President Trump’s executive orders on immigration could push the court even further behind.

The executive orders broadly expand who Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents should prioritize for deportation. Under President Obama, the focus was mostly on tracking and removing violent criminals. Agents now have clearance to really focus on anyone who is in the country illegally.

Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, says this means ICE essentially no longer has priorities.

“It’s sort of like saying, open season on anyone who may have overstayed their visa,” Rose said, “open season on people who look like they might be from a different country — and mostly that’s going to be people who are brown and black skinned — open season on pulling people over and hassling them.”

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