Opinion ID: 3050632
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Crowded Docket of the Immigration Court

Text: [7] Though the IJ does not specifically cite his crowded docket in the decision, it is clear from the hearing transcript that the two-year delay that would have been required to grant Boachie-Yiadom’s request for a “short continuance” was a significant reason why the request was not granted. This is not an acceptable justification for the denial of the right to counsel. The IJ, BIA, and the government all repeatedly lament that Mendoza’s proceeding had stretched on for almost five years. It should be clear to the government that Mendoza should not be blamed for the fact that two minor scheduling conflicts required that his case be delayed for three years. Neither is it Mendoza’s fault that the short continuance attorney Boachie-Yiadom requested would have required another two-year delay. It is disturbing that an individual petitioner was, in effect, punished for the crowded docket of the immigration courts. Petitioners should not be forced to proceed without counsel because of the scheduling problems of the immigration court. As frustrating as delays might be, an 15 The denial of the continuance is especially difficult for us to uphold because IJ Fong did not sufficiently ascertain the details of Mendoza’s efforts to contact his counsel. The IJ told Mendoza he was not interested in hearing about the notary, despite the fact that the notary was clearly a central figure in Mendoza’s relationship with attorney Paek. The IJ then criticized Mendoza for mentioning the notary, saying it was “easier to blame unnamed people, people no one can ever identify or find them to get their side, let alone substantiate what you claim. It’s easier to make a claim that someone unnamed and unknown and whereabouts unknown is at fault.” This criticism is ironic, given that the IJ did not give Mendoza the chance to identify the notary, and given that the IJ disbelieved Mendoza based on Paek’s statements made off the record, where Mendoza could not effectively challenge them. MENDOZA-MAZARIEGOS v. MUKASEY 16035 immigrant’s right to counsel should not be sacrificed because of the shortcomings of the immigration system itself. [8] Thus, Mendoza’s right to counsel was violated because, when Mendoza’s attorney did not show up, IJ Fong did not take reasonable steps to ensure that Mendoza’s statutory right to counsel was honored. Neither the previous continuances, nor Mendoza’s decision to hire a new lawyer, nor the significant delay a continuance would have required, were sufficient reasons to deny a continuance and require Mendoza to proceed without counsel.