The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, has ruled in favor of extending voluntary departure deadlines for immigrants who agree to leave the country. The ruling came in the case of Hugo Monsalvo Velazquez, who was given a 60-day deadline to self-deport, which fell on a Saturday. The court found that such deadlines should be extended to the next business day if they fall on a weekend or legal holiday, allowing Monsalvo Velazquez to file a new challenge to his deportation on Day 62. In a separate development, newly unsealed documents reveal that the U.S. government is giving detained migrants as few as 12 hours to contest their deportation under the Alien Enemies Act. This information came to light in a Texas federal court where lawyers are challenging the detention of migrants. According to an ICE document, migrants have at least 12 hours to express an intent to file a habeas petition after being served with Form AEA 21-B. If they do, they are given up to 24 hours to file the petition. Carlos D. Cisneros, an Assistant Field Office Director for ICE in Harlingen, Texas, outlined the notice procedure, which includes providing language assistance through a vendor and ensuring telephone access for migrants to contact legal representatives. Additionally, ICE detention standards require that information be provided in a language the migrant understands, and a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) request is typically adjudicated quickly if a habeas petition is filed.
Immigrants deported via Alien Enemies Act must race the clock to contest removal https://t.co/CbUlIiBHqN
Detained migrants given as few as 12 hours to contest deportation under Alien Enemies Act, ICE document says https://t.co/XsQ2oKur9j
Detained migrants given 12 hours to contest deportation under Alien Enemies Act, ICE document says https://t.co/jYaRREQrDH