US Court System is Big Opening for Immigrants

Non-Mexican undocumented immigrants crossing the southern US border have a pretty easy out if they're apprehended by immigration authorities. By claiming to be from Honduras, Guatemala, or somewhere else, undocumented migrants from Central and South America are processed through the court system, not immediately turned back at the US-Mexico border. Short on money and space to house them, Border Patrol officers have little choice but to send them into the US court system, issuing them a 'notice to appear' in front of an immigration judge. According to official statistics, however, 49 percent of those ordered to appear in court never show up for the proceedings. Of the ones who do show up and who are ordered deported, 86 percent fail to appear for deportation. In Texas border towns, says this article in The San Antonio Express-News, the "notice to disappear" practice is becoming a heated political issue. – YaleGlobal