Lawyers in Los Angeles involved in representing immigrants seeking permanent residency in the United States are continually frustrated with multiple governmental agencies that often don't coordinate with one another. The problem is particularly acute in Los Angeles, which has more immigration judges than any other region and a noticeably crowded docket.
A recent decision by the 9th Circuit, however, says a busy calendar alone isn't necessarily enough reason to deny a continuance.
In its ruling, the 9th Circuit expressed concern about blaming a petitioner for delays caused by administrative agencies. Similar issues were raised in recent rulings by the 2d and 7th circuits, both of which sided with petitioners.
Immigration courts nationwide have experienced a 19% increase in the backlog of cases since 2006, according to a report issued in June by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University that analyzes data about the federal government. The clearinghouse attributed the backlog to the shortage of immigration judges.
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