COURTS/IMMIGRATION/JEFF SESSIONS/OBAMA ADMIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said Thursday [5-17-18] that immigration judges may no longer administratively close cases, a way of letting someone avoid deportation, and released data showing that it is arresting far more illegal immigrants without criminal convictions than was true in the Obama administration. Together, the announcements show how the administration is rolling back Obama-era rules and policies that allowed for discretion in who is targeted for removal from the U.S. The first announcement from Attorney General Jeff Sessions said immigration judges don’t have the authority to administratively close cases and directed them to stop doing so. Administrative closures take deportation cases off the courts’ crowded docket and allow illegal immigrants to remain in the country even though they haven’t proven a legal right to do so. They have typically been used in cases where the immigrant has strong ties to the U.S. and no criminal record. Administrative closures were common under the Obama administration but have been much less so under the Trump administration, as prosecutors are no longer supporting the move.”
-Laura Meckler, “Wider Net Cast in Illegal-Immigration Cases,” The Wall Street Journal, May 17, 2018 6:57 pm