By Elliot Spagat
“ICE told advocates last week that it aimed to have up to 500 families under curfews at any given time, said Cindy Woods, national policy counsel for Americans for Immigrant Justice. There were about 200 families under curfew at the time.
The number of families enrolled is expected to grow significantly as the program expands, the U.S. official said.
Some immigration advocates feel screenings are rushed. Americans for Immigrant Justice said asylum-seekers generally have screenings within 12 days of crossing the border and only a day or two to prepare for an appeal. Those who fail to win approval are expected to be deported within 30 days of arrival.
‘Families need to take a breath,’ Woods said in a conference call last week with other attorneys.
Still, she said, the curfews ‘are a step in right direction if it’s a step away from potential detention of families.'”