Immigration Courts Closed in 15 Cities Due to ‘Civil Unrest’

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The U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration review announced it would be closing all immigration courts in 15 cities due to the protests on police killings that have swept the nation. The immigration court in Newark closed at noon on Monday, while the Buffalo Immigration Court closed at 3:00 p.m. The Broadway Immigration Court and the courts at Federal Plaza in New York City closed at 1:30 pm, the agency announced on Twitter. Other closures are happening in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Portland. Law360

In other national immigration news…

ICE and CBP to Deploy Personnel and Resources to Cities 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection will deploy personnel and resources to support local, state and federal law enforcement in cities across the country where police brutality protests have grown. “ICE personnel and Special Response Teams have been deployed to protect agency facilities and assets in support of the Federal Protective Service and assist local, state and federal law enforcement partners, as needed,” Danielle Bennett, an agency spokeswoman said. Last week, CBP told congress one of its surveillance drones had been “preparing to provide live video to aid in situational awareness at the request of our federal law enforcement partners in Minneapolis.” Roll Call

DACA Recipients Weigh Freedom and Participating in Protests

DACA recipients are struggling over whether or not to participate in the protests over police killings. For them, an arrest may mean losing their work permit or a delayed deportation, and members of mixed-status families could put undocumented relatives at risk. “They have to look out for the entire household. They don’t want to bring trouble home,” said Rep. Jesús García (D-Ill.), a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. That fear has only grown after ICE and CBP announced they would be aiding in law enforcement in cities with protests. The Hill

Iranian Scientist Acquitted of Stealing Federal Trade Secrets Returned to Iran

An Iranian scientist imprisoned in the U.S. and acquitted in a federal trade secret case was deported on Tuesday. Asgari, a professor at Iran’s Sharif University of Technology, was indicted in April 2016 and accused of trying to steal secret research from Case Western Reserve University. The school had been working on a project for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research to create and produce anti-corrosive stainless steel. Asgari was ultimately acquitted in November. Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy Homeland Security secretary, previously told the Associated Press that DHS had tried to deport Asgari on Dec. 12, but Iran refused to provide him with a valid passport. The Associated Press