A community hotline launched by ASU law students aims to help immigrants ask for remote court hearings. That, after weeks of ICE sightings and arrests outside the Phoenix Immigration Court.
Immigration officers in Phoenix and other cities have been seen wearing plainclothes and masks, arresting immigrants as they leave their court hearings. This has often been the case with asylum seekers, who go to their scheduled hearings and have their cases dismissed by the government, opening them up to a fast-tracked deportation process called expedited removal.
Jacob Martinez, president of the Chicano/Latino Law Student Association, says his organization wants to help immigrants go through the legal process remotely.
“We want to make sure that people feel confident when they’re logging on and going to these hearings, and don’t worry and aren’t in fear that ICE is going to show up and detain them. Because they’re doing it the right way, they’re going through the process,” he said. “They’re always entitled to request to the court that they appear by phone or by zoom. And so that’s what we really want to make sure people are aware of, and help them with it.”
Anyone can request the court to allow their hearing to happen remotely, a practice Martinez says is often done due to a child being sick or issues traveling to court in person. The group’s hotline is now live to answer questions and help prepare court documents to request remote hearings.
Martinez says callers can remain anonymous and no sensitive case information will be shared. The hotline can be reached by phone or text at 602-935-4229.
