SCOTUS: Immigrants can be held indefinitely during removal proceedings

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — On Monday, the Supreme Court said that immigrants can be held in detention indefinitely while they await removal proceedings.

Prior to this, immigrants were required to have a bond hearing within the six months of being held in detention.

"We should allow people the opportunity for a review of their detention because it happens in all other levels of detention, why not in this specific sort of context in the immigration area," Mo Goldman, an immigration attorney in Tucson said.

Goldman adds that now there are going to be inconsistencies with the system.

"One of the concerns that we have here is that when you don't have a blanket standard you are going to have inconsistent standard based on each individual," Goldman said. "I've seen some people who have been in detention for years because their case doesn't go as quickly as one would hope. They appeal the decision they are still sitting in detention, it's definitely not an ideal situation."

The immigration courts are also backed up. At the end of May this year, more than 1.8 million cases were pending, according to TRAC.

"It's partly an issue of what is fair and humane but also what do we do when the system is so backed up, so clogged up that we just can't handle the number of cases that are being heard," Goldman said.

Many of the immigrants sitting in detention are waiting for their asylum cases to be heard.

"I mean it points to the fact that we have a system right now in place that tends to be harsher towards immigrants than welcoming and compassionate," Goldman said.

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