Speech #1130112569

With this funding. not only can we preserve our commitment to treat children as the children that they are. we can improve the way that the current law is being administered and more efficiently put our resources to work. Earlier today. I met with immigration judges from the U.S. Department of Justices Executive Office of Immigration Review. They informed me they are desperate for increased resources with which to handle not only the influx of childrens cases but also a current backlog of 375.000 cases. Due to there being only 243 immigration judges across the country. immigrants today wait 587 average days for a hearing. That is one year and 7 months before they have the opportunity to come before an immigration judge. With adequate funding from this supplemental. which provides for immigration judge teams. legal representation and services. government immigration litigation attorneys and courtroom equipment. among other things. this crisis can be managed and make the processing of children more efficient. One of the judges who sits in Miami told me that through her court where a child has representation. a voluntary return to the country of origin was able to be achieved in a majority of her cases. So the majority of children actually took voluntary departure and returned to their countries. A judge cant make a phone call. but a counsel canthe attorneys could make the calls to do the necessary preparation and see that a safe home could be arranged. Because of this representation. cases are processed more quickly and children could safely return. I understand there has been concern that unaccompanied children will not appear for their immigration court proceedings. That is simply not true. The fact is. whether represented or not. 60.9 percent do appear. and the number increases to 92.5 percent when represented by counsel. So these children do get before a judge60.9 percent of them. and if they have a lawyer. 92 percent. With this supplemental funding. the immigration courts. with help from legal representatives. would be able to hear more quickly immigration cases and determine with justice who may stay and who must go. I was contacted recently by Winston Lord. a former U.S. Ambassador and Assistant Secretary of State. who is all too familiar with managing situations of international crises while preserving our national interest. In reflecting on the current crisis. he acknowledged the need for effective border control and immigration enforcement to ensure national security and a comprehensive solution. However. he also identified the heart of the matter here: "These challenges . . . need not be met by using ineffective and indiscriminate approaches that harm innocent children." He is right. We are a great Nation. capable of safeguarding our national security while simultaneously proceeding with humanity in addressing this crisis. and any future challenges that this country faces.