A distinguished immigration lawyer, Rodney Malpert serves as a partner with Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy in Phoenix, Arizona. A graduate of Cornell Law School, Rodney Malpert maintains membership in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Part of AILA’s mission is to advocate for reform of immigration laws and the U.S. immigration court system. AILA recently announced its support for two new U.S. Senate bills: the Immigration Court Improvement Act of 2019 and the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2019.
American immigration courts face systemic obstacles to delivering timely and fair decisions, according to AILA President Anastasia Tonello. One problem is that immigration courts are under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice, which creates a conflict of interest because DOJ also serves as a prosecutor on immigration cases. The Immigration Court Improvement Act of 2019 would increase immigration court judicial independence and prohibit “quota systems” that cause judges to speed through cases without safeguarding due process.
In light of the thousands of unaccompanied children who have had to appear in immigration court without legal representation, the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act would provide unaccompanied children with an appointed immigration attorney. Both of these bills would increase the integrity and fairness of the immigration court system, said AILA.
