LexisNexis has posted a letter signed by 104 lawyers, firms and organizations in New York to the Executive Office for Immigration Review complaining about unsafe conditions in the New York Immigration Court. The letter mentions overcrowded courtrooms and the risk that people contagious with coronavirus will show up for hearings because the agency is not accommodating rescheduling. The signers are asking the following:
1. Procedures to request re-scheduling of hearings, and to receive timely responses, for Respondents who are exhibiting symptoms and/or whose legal representatives are exhibiting symptoms.
2. Procedures to request re-scheduling of hearings, and to receive timely responses, for individuals who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 and who may not feel comfortable putting themselves at increased risk going into packed courtrooms, including the Respondents and/or their legal representatives.
3. A blanket policy allowing telephonic appearances for individuals who are sick or who are at risk, but who are nonetheless able to participate telephonically in a scheduled hearing.
4. Contingency plans affecting Respondent parents and/or their legal representatives, in the event that the New York City Department of Education, New York State Education Department, and/or other local school districts decide that schools must close to prevent further spread of the virus.
5. A notification system alerting Respondents and their legal representatives when an Immigration Judge may be out, and providing timely notice of case rescheduling.