Dear Friends and Advocates,
As many of you know, the humanitarian crisis at the southwestern border in which tens of thousand of children and families are seeking safe haven in the United States has led to a series of policy reforms and proposals. One of the most immediate reforms is now playing out in our nation’s immigration courts. The White House has instructed the courts to prioritize the cases of unaccompanied juveniles and families arriving at the border (this does not include those already living in the interior) and schedule their first Master Calendar hearing within three weeks of receipt of the Notice to Appear. The San Francisco Immigration Court has responded by scheduling the first batch of juvenile and family dockets (i.e. master calendar hearings) beginning NEXT WEEK, July 30, 2014.
We urgently need your help! Although there are already plans underway to establish a released juvenile docket by February 2015 (a collaboration between the SF Immigration Court and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto), immediate assistance is needed to ensure that the court’s recently scheduled dockets are staffed with knowledgeable and experienced attorneys until a more sustainable system is put in place.
How to Get Involved: To volunteer at one of the dockets you must join the Attorney of the Day (AOD) panel through the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF). BASF will be accepting applications to join the AOD panel on a rolling basis and scheduling attorneys to master calendar hearings. Please fill out the application form and send directly to BASF at cconn@sfbar.org or ahernandez@sfbar.org. The Application Form can be found here: Volunteer Attorneys Needed for Court’s UAC Docket – Application Form. BASF will send further information about mandatory trainings and resources available to you if you are interested in volunteering.
Upcoming Hearings: Thus far, the hearings are taking place every morning and afternoon five days a week. The first two judges hearing the cases are Judge Hoogasian and Judge King. The next batch of hearings scheduled will be assigned to two different judges. Please call BASF at 415-477-2374 and let them know which hearing dates you can attend and if you have a preference for the juvenile or family (adults with children) dockets. Attorneys with prior experience representing children in removal proceedings are especially encouraged to volunteer for the children-only dockets.
Judge Hoogasian Hearings
7/30/14 8:30am – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
7/30/14 1pm – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
7/31/14 8:30am – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
7/31/14 1pm – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/4/14 8:30am – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
8/4/14 1pm – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/5/14 8:30am – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
8/5/14 1pm – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/6/14 8:30am – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
8/6/14 1pm – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/7/14 8:30am – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/7/14 1pm – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
8/8/14 8:30am – 8th floor, Courtroom 3 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
Judge King Hearings
7/30/14 8:30am – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
7/30/14 1pm – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
7/31/14 8:30am – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
7/31/14 1pm – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/1/14 8:30am – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
8/1/14 1pm – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/4/14 8:30am – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
8/4/14 1pm – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/5/14 8:30am – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/5/14 1pm – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/6/14 8:30am – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/6/14 1pm – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
8/7/14 8:30am – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
8/7/14 1pm – 9th floor, Courtroom 14 – FAMILIES (Adults with children)
If you have any questions related to becoming an AOD or volunteering for one of the dockets, please contact Constance Tang or Antonio Hernandez at BASF at 415-477-2374. If you have general questions about the juvenile and family dockets, please contact Misha Seay at mseay@clsepa.org.
Thank you!
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto