EOIR Announces Specialized Children's Dockets

Good news for immigrant children in the U.S.! EOIR has created specialized children's dockets which will be available at 49 immigrations courts around the country. There will also be specially trained staff and judges managing these cases, mostly made up of unaccompanied migrant children.

Some guidelines include:

• Immigration judges are advised remove their robes, so a child feels less intimidated in the courtroom.

• A child will be permitted to visit an empty courtroom before a hearing, for familiarity.

• A child and his/her interpreter can meet and establish a rapport before the child testifies.

• An immigration judge should make sure a child is competent enough to testify and understand the oath.

• A child should be advised that it’s okay to say they don’t know an answer to a question.

These new guidelines have the potential to create a more compassionate experience for children who have been through so much already, and perhaps even deal with the intense case backlog.

For more information: https://www.keranews.org/news/2023-12-22/immigration-court-adds-docket-and-procedures-for-migrant-children