IMMIGRATION/JEFF SESSIONS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday [8-16-18] sought to speed up the deportation of illegal immigrants, telling immigration judges they should only postpone cases in removal proceedings ‘for good cause shown.’ Sessions, in an interim order that was criticized by some lawyers, said the ‘good-cause’ standard ‘limits the discretion of immigration judges and prohibits them from granting continuances for any reason or no reason at all.’ Unlike the federal judiciary system, U.S. immigration courts fall under the Department of Justice and the attorney general can intervene. Sessions, a Republican former U.S. Senator appointed by President Donald Trump, has been unusually active in this practice compared to his predecessors. Sessions has led efforts by the Trump administration to crack down on illegal immigration, including a ‘zero tolerance’ policy that separated immigrant parents from their children while they were in U.S. detention. Trump abandoned the separation policy in June under political pressure. Critical in showing ‘good cause’ is whether a person is likely to succeed in efforts to remain in the United States, either by appealing for asylum or receiving some form of visa or work permit, Sessions said on Thursday.”
–Reuters Staff, “U.S. attorney general issues order to speed up immigrant deportations,” Reuters, August 16, 2018 5:34 pm