header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 19
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez


By Bianca Bruno

SAN DIEGO – A federal judge Tuesday questioned what harm the government would face if it had to implement a pending settlement agreement to grant asylum interviews to families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under the since-abandoned zero-tolerance immigration policy.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw heard from attorneys for the families and government concerning a new schism in the ongoing litigation – consolidated in the Southern District of California – over the separation of more than 2,600 mostly Central American families at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Last week, attorneys representing the families filed an emergency motion to implement the settlement agreement the parties reached last month. Although Sabraw granted preliminary approval to the agreement, a final approval hearing is not scheduled until Nov. 15.

The families’ attorneys say they entered into the settlement based on the government’s representation it would begin to conduct asylum interviews for families who wanted to remain detained while pursuing legal means to remain in the U.S. rather than be deported.

But the government hasn’t begun to process their applications, and at least 40 families have opted for deportation “because they simply could not wait in detention for any longer,” according to their attorneys.

On Tuesday, Sabraw asked Justice Department attorney Scott Stewart how the government would be harmed if it started conducting asylum proceedings pending final approval of the settlement agreement next month.

“The settlement in this case is well-postured for approval,” Sabraw said. “What would the prejudice be to the government in at least starting some of these orientations and hearings? Wouldn’t it just be a loss of government resources? I’m not understanding what the prejudice would be.”

Stewart recognized that “it is a very costly, burdensome thing for the government to hold people in detention” but said “finality of the class resolution are key pieces for the government” and that it “[has] a problem” implementing the asylum agreement under an emergency briefing schedule.

“The government needs to be careful,” Stewart said, noting one objection to the settlement has already been filed with another possible objection coming from a small group of people wanting to be included in it.

Class attorney Justin Bernick of Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. told Sabraw via teleconference they “heavily relied” on the government’s representation it would “get moving” on implementing the asylum process when the agreement was negotiated.

Bernick said 60 people have signed the settlement waiver holding them in detention pending the processing of their asylum claims. He said his clients believed they would start the asylum process within days of signing the form.

“This is not going to open Pandora’s box. We are bound by this agreement,” Bernick said. He pointed out the families are “entitled to these interviews anyway by statute” and said moving forward with the asylum interviews “could help conserve government resources.”

But Stewart contended that “ordering the government to immediately implement the agreement in the absence of final approval represents a significant legal risk.”

Still, Stewart said the government is willing to move forward in implementing the settlement agreement “as appropriate.” When Sabraw asked if the 60 people could move forward on their asylum claims, Stewart said they “likely could.”

Bernick retorted that the class relied on the “same language Stewart used on how to move forward” during the settlement negotiations “but that has not materialized.”

Sabraw indicated he will issue a “short and to-the-point” order on the emergency motion soon. He scheduled the next status conference for Nov. 9, expressing hope that a “final accounting” of reunified families will bring the case to a close “during this time frame.”

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Live Music Performers Announced
The 28th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is back with your favorite musical performers and an exciting lineup of new acts.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
City’s 2024 ‘Celebrate’ Lineup Released
There is so much to learn from different customs and cultures and you don’t need a plane ticket to experience it all.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
March 22: COC’s Uniquely Abled Academy Robotics Graduation
On Friday, March 22, the Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) at College of the Canyons will host a graduation ceremony for nine students who have completed the UAA’s pilot robotics training program.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez
College of the Canyons notched its first victory at the newly named Mike Gillespie Field on Saturday, winning its second straight conference series, this time over visiting Bakersfield College, by a 6-4 final score. 
Cougars Notch First Win at Mike Gillespie Field
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Master's University hit 20 3-pointers, one shy of the program record in a game, to defeat the St. Thomas Bobcats 122-91 in the second round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship tournament.
Mustangs Advance to NAIA Sweet 16
The Master's University baseball team lost a pair of 1-run games Saturday against the Menlo Oaks in Atherton, Calif.
Mustangs Drop Three Games to Menlo
The Los Angeles County Development Authority is excited to announce that its executive director, Emilio Salas, has been appointed to a two-year term to serve as a member of the national Strategic Planning Advisory Committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
LACDA’s Emilio Salas Appointed to National Planning Advisory Committee
The 28th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is back with your favorite musical performers and an exciting lineup of new acts.
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Live Music Performers Announced
REDLANDS — College of the Canyons track and field recorded a dozen top-10 finishes and established 30 new personal records while competing at the University of Redlands Invitational on March 15. 
Cougars Earn Top-10 Finishes at Redlands Invitational
There is so much to learn from different customs and cultures and you don’t need a plane ticket to experience it all.
City’s 2024 ‘Celebrate’ Lineup Released
Big Chicken, the star-powered fast casual chicken concept, which has a location in Santa Clarita, is fueling the mania for the Big Tournament with a nationwide Big Bracket Challenge.
Compete for Chance to Open Shaquille O’Neal Chicken Restaurant
California State University, Northridge’s Spring 2024 Cinematheque series will pay tribute to Hollywood casting director and producer Deborah Aquila, executive vice president and head of casting at Paramount Television Studios and CBS Studios, to mark the end of Women’s History Month on Wednesday, March 27.
Legendary Casting Director Deborah Aquila to Speak at CSUN
On Friday, March 22, the Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) at College of the Canyons will host a graduation ceremony for nine students who have completed the UAA’s pilot robotics training program.
March 22: COC’s Uniquely Abled Academy Robotics Graduation
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is excited to announce spring has sprung at its local parks, including those in the Santa Clarita Valley.
L.A. County Parks Releases Spring Jubilee Dates
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office released the list of six productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, March 18 - Sunday, March 24.
‘Bosch Legacy,’ ‘CSI Vegas’ Among Six Productions Filming in SCV
Unlike our children who enjoy a week-long spring break, we adults no longer have that luxury.
Ken Striplin | Register Now for Spring Break Camp 2024
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the following Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested.
Ocean Water Advisory Continues for L.A. County Beaches
The California Department of Motor Vehicles now offers a faster way for businesses to check that their employees have clean driving records using the new online Employee Pull Notice (EPN) Service.
DMV Launches Enhanced Digital Employer Pull Notice Service
1919 - Fire destroys abandoned second Southern Hotel, built 1878 in Newhall (corner Main & Market) [story]
Second Southern Hotel
1927 - Newhall telephone exchange, est. 1900, now serves 100 phones [story]
telephone
2003 - Lifesize sculpture honoring heroes of St. Francis Dam disaster unveiled in Santa Paula [video]
The Warning
In the first of three matches on consecutive nights in Arizona, The Master's men's volleyball team defeated Benedictine-Mesa in three sets 27-25, 28-26, 25-19.
TMU Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Benu in Arizona
Greg Herrick, the former longtime College of the Canyons women's basketball head coach who recorded 611 career wins while winning 16 conference titles, was inducted into the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) Hall of Fame during the organization's annual Banquet of Champions at Mt. San Antonio College on March 13.
Longtime COC Women’s Basketball Coach Herrick Enshrined in Hall of Fame
The Santa Clarita Planning Commission will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd. 1st Floor, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
March 19: Planning Commission to Discuss Wiley Canyon Mixed Use Project
Attend the city of Santa Clarita's most unique egg hunt, the Splash N’ Dash at the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, presented by Kaiser Permanente.
March 30: Dive into Spring at Splash n’ Dash Egg Hunt
String orchestras and concert bands from around the Santa Clarita Valley and Southern California will participate in the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association concert festival hosted by West Ranch High School on Tuesday, March 26 and Wednesday, March 27, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
March 26-27: SoCal School Band, Orchestra Concert Festival
SCVNews.com