The White House has made an open call for the legal community to provide assistance with immigration and asylum cases, as the backlog of cases remains at historical records.
"The administration is announcing a call to action for members of the legal community, including law firms, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and other stakeholders to make commitments of pro bono support for those who are unrepresented in immigration proceedings," the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.
A recent study by the University of Syracuse based on federal data revealed that the backlog reached almost 3.7 million cases back then, with 1.3 million being from this fiscal year (which began in October) alone.
And while the completion number surpassed half a million, a record figure, the backlog is still increasing. "Although judges are unable to keep up with the flow of new cases into the courts, immigration judges are collectively on track to complete more cases than ever by the end of this year," reads a passage of the report. Florida has the most pending cases, followed by Texas, California, New York and Illinois.
In the context of the White House call, American Bar Association President Mary Smith said the organization "is leveraging its existing resources to help and encourage more lawyers to provide pro bono support to unrepresented noncitizens in immigration proceedings."
"The legal profession is uniquely qualified to help reduce the growing immigration court backlog by increasing access to pro bono counsel for those eligible. In doing so, we support our courts in operating more fairly and efficiently and we promote principles of due process fundamental to our legal system," Smith added.
To do so, the organization is offering free online resources and toolkits, as well as a list of potential cases for lawyers to consider taking. "The ABA remains concerned about the growing backlog of cases (in) immigration courts, especially due to a lack (of) representation by counsel."
"Studies have found that legal representation leads to increased court efficiency through improved appearance rates, presentation of more focused testimony and evidence, fewer requests for continuances and a smaller number of frivolous claims. This allows judges to make better informed and more expeditious rulings."
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