Caravan’s next steps out of public view
Courts often work behind closed doors
TIJUANA, Mexico — The caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States sought the world’s attention as scores of migrants traveled through Mexico on a journey to escape their violent homelands.
Now that the group has arrived at the border, the next steps in their journey will unfold mostly out of public view.
The caravan first drew attention in the U.S. when President Donald Trump promised that his administration would seek to turn the families away. The rest of the asylum-seeking process will happen slowly and secretively in immigration courts.
Dan Kowalski, editor of Bender’s Immigration Bulletin, said the public will “probably see very little (of the caravan cases) unless the applicant is represented and the attorney makes an effort to bring the client into the limelight.”
The first eight caravan members turned themselves in to U.S. border inspectors Monday at San Diego’s San Ysidro crossing.
Another six asylum-seekers trickled in Tuesday, organizers said, leaving about 150 still waiting outside, many with backpacks and blankets. The San Diego crossing, the nation’s busiest, processed about 50 asylum-seekers a day from October through February, suggesting the wait will be short.
Under U.S. asylum practices, people spend up to three days at the border inspection facility before being transferred to a long-term detention center. An asylum officer interviews them for an initial screening, usually within a week or so, to determine if their cases should advance to immigration court, which can take several years.
The courts often conduct business behind closed doors. Files are not public and, unlike criminal or civil courts, access for journalists and others is limited.
The caravan’s numbers, while tiny compared to previous surges of Central Americans to South Texas and Haitians to San Diego, will be a test of Trump’s tough words. Administration officials have railed against what they call legal loopholes and “catch-and-release” policies that allow people seeking asylum to be freed while their cases are adjudicated, but any significant changes must be addressed by Congress or in the courts.