Judges balk at speedy deportations

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A revolt against Bush administration attempts to speed up deportations for some immigrants is coming from an unlikely source.

The Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is one of the more conservative federal appellate courts in the country. But faced with horror stories of refugees tortured in their homelands, yet denied asylum here, 7th Circuit judges are overturning deportation orders and slamming the immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals for ignoring claims of political persecution.


"What was the immigration judge thinking?" an exasperated Judge Richard Posner asked in a Nov. 1 ruling reversing an order to send a Jewish family back to Muslim Turkmenistan.

The immigration judge had said that because only Ahmed Mamedov's father -- not his mother -- was Jewish, the discrimination against him "was not as significant as he claims."

Posner responded, "It's like saying that a Jew in Nazi Germany was OK as long as he was of German nationality."
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-immig14.html

[Maat]

1. Thank God someone is standing up for what is right.

I expect that to go by the wayside, by and large, soon. Who knows how much longer we can count on our judiciary to protect fundamental rights (you know, their job)?

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2. Sadly

It's too few and far between, if you ask me.

I have to wonder if it's just because the cases aren't being brought forward, or the ones that do come forward end up in front of a GOP judge?

(yes, I know most judges probably pride themselves on impartiality, but I'm sure there are a few that aren't, and I wouldn't be surprised if some cases get "steered" to a favorable judge).