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Rep. Jayapal calls for transparency in new FERM process
According to ICE, the creation of the Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) process was intended to streamline the processing of cases.
Senator Pramila Jayapal / Image: a. rye/Twitter
U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, who serves as the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Nanette Barragán, Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, along with 70 Members of Congress have requested the administration to provide a comprehensive briefing and detailed information on the newly introduced Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) process.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the creation of the Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) process was intended to streamline the processing of cases. However, the lawmakers have come across reports suggesting that the expedited approach might inadvertently limit access to legal counsel, thereby posing challenges to the asylum process.
Moreover, the lawmakers highlighted that FERM does not seem to include a mechanism for assisting families in finding attorneys. In auch a scenario, newly arriving migrants may find it exceedingly difficult to secure legal representation promptly, and there may not be adequate opportunities for attorneys to sufficiently prepare them for their credible fear interviews.
The lawmakers voiced their concerns about the expedited nature of the process, which they believe deprives families of a substantial opportunity to present their cases and places them at a disadvantage in terms of access to legal counsel and language services.
“FERM was initially launched in four destination cities but has rapidly expanded to 33 cities across the country,” their letter to the Department of Homeland Security read. “While we commend the Department of Homeland Security for ending family detention, we have serious concerns about the FERM process. we request that the Department of Homeland Security provide us with a comprehensive briefing and detailed information regarding FERM..”
The members have asked for clarification on the timelines for each step of the process, what type of language access and interpretation services are provided, and whether there are any procedures in place to ensure that migrants have timely and meaningful access to counsel and interpreters.
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