March 20, 2020
We, the undersigned 26 legal services organizations serving unaccompanied children, write to urgently request that as part of efforts to protect public health and well-being during the national emergency related to COVID-19 the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) postpone all court appearances and hearings for detained unaccompanied children until public health authorities and medical experts determine conditions are safe to resume regular social interactions and operations.
Recently, EOIR postponed all non-detained hearings scheduled through April 10, 2020, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. While we commend this step, we believe far more is needed to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus to those appearing before and working within the nation’s immigration courts.
