In the past few weeks, things have changed so significantly that I, as an ex-INS prosecutor, expect to see deportations start on a massive scale before the end of this year.
Consider the following recent developments:
1. On August 27, the Secretary of Defense approved sending up to 600 military attorneys with no immigration experience to serve as Immigration Judges to conduct deportation hearings;
2. On September 5, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruled that Immigration Judges lack authority to grant bond to persons who entered the United States without inspection; and
3. On September 11, the BIA ruled that if the factual allegations underlying a claim for asylum do not establish eligibility for relief, an Immigration Judge may deny an asylum application without granting a person a full hearing.
