Keith Hunsucker leads mandatory training for immigration judges to accelerate case completion and reduce delays
The administration announced a new mandatory training session for immigration judges led by Keith Hunsucker to streamline the adjudication of pending cases. The training, titled "Motions to Continue: Efficiently Advancing Cases to Completion," instructed judges to limit the use of continuances, which are legal tools used to grant immigrants more time to build cases or wait for documents.
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Judges were urged to deny continuances that are sought solely for delay, particularly for illegal immigrants who may wish to prolong litigation to avoid deportation. The training also suggested that an approved visa petition should not delay proceedings if the visa itself is not yet available due to quotas. Specifically, the training targeted the special immigrant juvenile classification and the status of survivors of egregious crimes. The administration aims to reduce the backlog of 3.2 million pending cases. To ensure efficiency, judges were also warned to threaten attorneys who accept more cases than they can professionally handle with potential disciplinary action. A Department of Justice spokesperson stated that the administration is restoring integrity to the immigration system by hearing cases fairly and expeditiously.