At this hearing, immigration authorities must prove that you can be deported because you are not a U.S. citizen and have violated certain immigration laws. The judge will also ask where you live and what application you plan to file to stay in the United States. The individual or merit hearing is usually the most important hearing in any alien deportation proceedings.
It is where the non-citizen will have the opportunity to present arguments before an immigration judge (IJ) and defend their right to remain in the United States. It is also where the IJ will make the final decision to allow the non-citizen to remain in the United States or be deported to their designated country. An immigrant who fails to appear for a mandatory hearing will be deported immediately. The immigrant will also lose his bond.
Removal proceedings begin with an initial hearing, known as a master calendar hearing. A person can have multiple master calendar hearings. The respondent also has the opportunity to identify any defense against removal they may have and file a request (s) for relief from deportation, such as an application for asylum, cancellation of deportation, or adjustment of status. Deferred action is when USCIS decides to “defer the removal of a person, which means that the deportation is postponed and the person can remain in the United States.
Individuals facing deportation can challenge the government's indictment document (“Notice to Appear”), government allegations against the person, or government evidence using motions to terminate or dismiss, motions to suppress, motions to reopen, and motions to reconsider. If the government is trying to deport you for a crime, that offense will be included in the Notice to Appear along with section of the immigration law. Immigration courts are behind schedule, so an alien who is not subject to mandatory deportation can be released. If the immigration judge determines that you could have a defense against deportation, he will serve the forms at one of the first hearings and give you one or two weeks to fill out the forms.
Before deporting someone, the government must obtain travel documents, which usually takes a month or more. At a minimum, for in-person court appearances, you can expect to be required to wear a mask and observe social distancing during the pandemic. Usually, people subject to expedited removal can be deported immediately, without a formal hearing or even without the right to an attorney. If the immigrant does not want to appeal, the government can start the deportation process immediately.
You are expected to prepare and present arguments as to why the defense you have chosen should apply to you and allow you to remain in the United States. The immigration judge must inform you of the defenses against deportation and give you a date to file application forms and other documents with the court. Green Card and being deported for a felony, you are waiving your right to live here legally and will never be able to return to the U. If you tell the immigration judge you want to appeal, Immigration cannot deport you for at least 30 days to give you time to file your Notice of Appeal.
If deportation is optional, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have to decide whether to start the deportation process. The Supreme Court has held that non-citizens cannot be detained indefinitely if there is no realistic possibility that they will be deported (for example, because the alien's country of origin will not accept them).
