Immigration ruled by law

The Herald describes the federal immigration court based in Boston as one of the “most lenient” in the country and implies that the system has only one job — to deport noncitizens to their country of origin (“Bay State sees plunge in deportations,” Sept. 19). In other words, success is measured by the number of removal orders that a court issues.

The charge of the immigration court system, however, is administering the immigration laws fairly and in a uniform manner — by interpreting the applicable law, which Congress has written. It is not a court whose sole duty is to remove any and all noncitizens from the U.S., notwithstanding that being an impression the Herald’s coverage unfairly seems to perpetuate.

If we are in anyway dissatisfied by the way we perceive the immigration court fulfilling its mission, then perhaps we need to return to our lawmakers, who have crafted the immigration laws. What really is most frustrating for me is the lack of comprehensive immigration reform and an ever-increasing perception that immigration is a black-and-white issue. — Robert F. Ley, Boston The writer is an immigration lawyer.