See the pretty trial balloon floating just up ahead? Shiney!
Nut graf, but do go read the whole thing: |
The American judicial system deems everyone innocent until proven guilty and guarantees a fair hearing with a lawyer — but not when it comes to immigration. Then there are far fewer rights. And as the system comes under pressure from a flood of new cases, the strain is showing.
One result is that U.S. citizens arrested as illegal immigrants or deportable residents cannot count on the legal system as a safety net. The odds are stacked against them. On the basis of interviews, lawsuits and documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, The Associated Press has documented more than 55 such cases since 2000, and immigration lawyers count hundreds more. |