Los Angeles Times

99% of LA asylum-seekers — many kids — in Biden program face deportation, report says

LOS ANGELES — After drug traffickers killed his little brother, William and his 6-year-old son, Santiago, fled Colombia last September to seek asylum in the United States. Unbeknownst to William, who ended up in Los Angeles with a friend, he and his son immediately became part of a cohort of thousands of families in a "dedicated docket" program that the Biden administration established in 11 ...
Los Angeles, CA- May 24: Santiago, a 6- year-old Colombian boy, is an asylum seeker who now face deportation after he and his father William, 42, missed their court dates through no fault of their own.

LOS ANGELES — After drug traffickers killed his little brother, William and his 6-year-old son, Santiago, fled Colombia last September to seek asylum in the United States.

Unbeknownst to William, who ended up in Los Angeles with a friend, he and his son immediately became part of a cohort of thousands of families in a "dedicated docket" program that the Biden administration established in 11 cities, including Los Angeles, in May 2021.

In response to a sudden rise of apprehensions last spring of families and children at the Southwest border, President Joe Biden promised the accelerated docket would resolve cases "more expeditiously and fairly." These sorts of programs have existed in various forms under previous administrations; Biden's program pushes immigration judges to resolve cases in 300 days, significantly shorter than the 4.5-year average of asylum cases in immigration court.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times3 min readCrime & Violence
Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission Wants To Change How Workers Report Sexual Harassment
In the wake of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape trial, a survey of nearly 10,000 workers by the Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission revealed a sobering result: Few people believed perpetrators would ever be held accountable. The vast majority
Los Angeles Times8 min read
How Laci Kaye Booth Survived Nashville To Make A Killer Country Album
LOS ANGELES — Laci Kaye Booth clearly recalls the career path she'd envisioned in her head. After finishing in fourth place on "American Idol" in 2019, the smoky-voiced country singer from small-town Texas promptly moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to p
Los Angeles Times3 min read
Reba McEntire's Pick Asher HaVon Wins 'The Voice' As 3 Coaches Take Their Final Bows
LOS ANGELES — Asher HaVon won "The Voice" on Tuesday as three of the reality show's four coaches also prepared to take their final bows. The 31-year-old soul and R&B singer from Selma, Alabama, was moved to tears when his victory was announced during

Related Books & Audiobooks