Emiliano Tahui Go\u0301mez, Austin American-Statesman
\n\u00a0|\u00a0 Hearst – Austin Transition<\/p>\n
SAN ANTONIO \u2014 Carlos Morales\u00a0Almario\u2019s court hearing ended almost as soon as it started.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Minutes after the Venezuelan immigrant took a seat Monday morning in a San Antonio courtroom, a government attorney asked the judge to dismiss the man\u2019s case. The\u00a0judge obliged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been dismissed,\u201d the judge told Morales Almario, who stood up abruptly with a puzzled look on his face. He didn\u2019t know it yet but a group of federal immigration agents were waiting outside to arrest him.<\/p>\n
Just before that, he would be confronted by another federal official: Congressman Greg Casar, an Austin Democrat who visited theSan Antonio Immigration Court on Monday on what he described as a fact-finding mission.<\/p>\n
For two months,<\/strong> the Austin Democrat, whose district stretches south to San Antonio, had received complaints from immigrant advocates and attorneys about a lack of due process and access to hearings as arrests at the court have intensified. They reported that immigration judges had begun dismissing cases during preliminary hearings and were allowing immigration agents to arrest entire dockets-worth of individuals. Advocates like Carolina Canizales, the director of Texas organizing at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, have reported being kicked out of hearings or barred from the courtroom entirely.<\/p>\n The result has been that many immigrants aren\u2019t attending their hearings in person, or at all. After observing proceedings for a few hours Monday, during which Casar said he heard a judge threaten to immediately deport individuals who attempted to continue to attend hearings virtually, the congressman said he couldn\u2019t blame them.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I was going to be watching immigration court; I didn’t realize I was coming to an unconstitutional death row,\u201d Casar said in an interview. \u201cAfter what I saw today, I think I may have to tell people: You shouldn\u2019t go to court anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>For an Austin military family, an immigration arrest brings tough questions<\/a><\/p>\n Some Austin immigration advocates, like those from the Austin Sanctuary Network, have complained that congressional offices, like Casar\u2019s, have not done more to help secure the release of immigrants and track them within the detention system. Colin Diersing, Casar\u2019s spokesman, said the office has had trouble getting information from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement but nevertheless encouraged families to reach out to the congressman\u2019s office if they need help. In some cases, he said, the office has been able to help.<\/p>\n