Groups Detail "Grave Concerns" to Garland re Dedicated Docket

106 legal services providers, Oct. 5, 2022

"On May 28, 2021, the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) jointly launched a “Dedicated Docket” to quickly process the cases of families seeking asylum in the United States who entered between ports of entry.1 We write to express our grave concerns with how this initiative has played out in its first year. The undersigned 106 legal service providers, court observers, and allied organizations located in the cities where the Dedicated Docket now operates. Together, we have observed hundreds of cases on the Dedicated Docket throughout the country. Our collective experience reveals a process rife with unfairness: lack of legal representation, expedited and arbitrary timelines, removal orders against pro se respondents (including young children), as well as courts marked by confusion and in some cases hostility. We urge the administration to end the Dedicated Docket and otherwise take immediate actions detailed below to address these concerns and ensure a fair process for all families seeking protection in our courts."