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US judges lash out at Trump over comment on due process for immigrants

Tuesday, 26 June 2018 11:12 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 26 June 2018 11:16 PM ]

People gather for a rally organized by local families, their supporters and civil rights organizations on the steps of City Hall in Los Angeles, California on June 7, 2018 to protest against family separations at the US southern border. (AFP photo)

US immigration judges react to a comment by US President Donald Trump, suggesting that undocumented immigrants do not require a court before being deported.

The National Association of Immigration Judges issued a statement Tuesday in reaction to Trump’s recent call for cutting the immigrants’ access to court and due process.

"Due process means that individuals are entitled to their day in court, in front of an independent and neutral decision maker, a judge who has the legal expertise to interpret and apply our complex immigration laws to the facts of each case," said Ashley Tabaddor, the president of the organization, representing US immigration judges.

PressTV-Trump defends executive order on immigration

US President Donald Trump has defended his executive order to end separation of migrant families at the country’s southern border.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders argued Monday that, “Just because you don’t see a judge doesn’t mean you don’t receive due process.”

But Tabaddor refuted the sentiment, asserting that everyone is entitled to their day in court “regardless of their citizenship status."

"Our laws are specifically designed to provide for due process for individuals fleeing persecution," she said. "This is not traffic court. A mistake on an asylum case can result in jail, torture or a death sentence."

PressTV-US Homeland staff face ‘heightened threat’

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned its employees of a “heightened threat” over the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy towards illegal immigration has led to family separations at the US border with Mexico.

Facing overwhelming bipartisan backlash, the US president signed an executive order last Wednesday to halt the separations.

The Republican president has vowed to crack down on immigration but has failed to get his complete agenda through so far.

More than 2,000 separated children are currently in the US government's custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which claims that it is aware of their locations and is making an effort to reunite them with their families.

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