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This ambitious book is the ultimate insider's guide to the U.S. immigration court system. It is simultaneously informative and sparingly comedic at times. It offers a peek into the past with its overview of immigration law (both statutes and case precedents) over the years, but it also looks to the future with optimism that practical reform may come to the legal system. As a retired Immigration Judge with more than three decades of government service, the author is more than qualified to write such a far-reaching work. However, despite his background, the author neither relies on a tediously pedantic writing style nor does he resort to excessive legalese. The result is an engaging book that is accessible to both laymen and lawyers alike.
For readers who are not familiar with removal proceedings and similar immigration law matters, the author provides a thorough introduction. He clearly explains how removal proceedings might be initiated, which parties may issue a notice to appear (a veritable laundry list of officers), and how an immigrant alien can challenge deportation proceedings. The many weaknesses of the immigration law system are highlighted for the reader's consideration. At times, it appears that the author feels sympathetic toward immigrant aliens who face removal, despite his background as both a government lawyer and a judge. He notes that attorneys in DHS litigation units do not have the authority to decline to prosecute and that they may only move for dismissal based on a short list of specific grounds. The lack of discretionary review clogs the legal system and makes for an inefficient process. This is just one of many examples the author uses to illustrate how future immigration reform can improve the proceedings. In all, this book brilliantly serves its purpose in a succinct and engaging manner.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review