Accidental History of the U.s. Immigration Courts - War, Fear, and the Roots of Dysfunction

"Americans take pride in their courts and the rule of law. Unfortunately, the U.S. immigration courts, with the awesome power to remove immigrants from this country, are in crisis, with endless backlogs, little judicial independence, and a lack of legitimacy among immigrants and the general public. The Accidental History of the U.S. Immigration Courts tells the surprising story of the evolution of the immigration courts and what we need to do to make the immigration courts independent and deserving of the respect befitting legal institutions"—Kevin R. Johnson, Dean, University of California, Davis School of Law

"How did our immigration courts become part of our law enforcement apparatus—and what can we do about it? This pathbreaking book shows us both what is wrong with our current system of deciding immigration cases and how we can fix it. Important and eye-opening."—Kermit Roosevelt, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School

"Alison Peck’s innovative history of the immigration courts teaches us that they were not designed to be neutral decision-makers. Political machinations led to their placement inside the Justice Department, so political outcomes are what we get. To free the immigration courts from political pressures, Peck argues, Congress must give them the independence they deserve."—César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, author of Migrating to Prison: America’s Obsession with Locking Up Immigrants

 

About the author

Alison Peck is Professor of Law and Codirector of the Immigration Law Clinic at West Virginia University College of Law.

Product details

• Authors: Alison Peck, Peck Alison
• Publisher: University Of California Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 17.05.2022
• EAN: 9780520389663
• ISBN: 978-0-520-38966-3
• No. of pages: 240
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Law > General, dictionaries; USA, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Emigration & Immigration, LAW / Courts, LAW / Constitutional, HISTORY / United States / General, LAW / Trial Practice, Migration, immigration & emigration, United States of America, USA, Migration, immigration and emigration, History of the Americas, Courts & procedure, Legal systems: courts and procedures, Citizenship and nationality law, Citizenship & nationality law