Vera Institute of Justice: Newly Appointed Judges and the Rise of Voluntary Departure in Immigration Court
The Trump administration is leveraging a wide range of strategies to carry out its mass deportation agenda. Among those facing deportation within the United States immigration court system, more people are receiving a case outcome requiring them to leave the country under the current administration than under the Biden administration. While this increase is coming in part through more removal orders, it is disproportionately driven by an increase in judges granting voluntary departure. Voluntary departure is an undesirable outcome for many, requiring departure from the United States with no guarantee of ever being able to return, a waiver of the chance to pursue relief on a case or appeal, and sometimes involving prolonged detention before a person can leave. New analysis from the Vera Institute of Justice examines how the use of voluntary departures has changed and the role of immigration judges appointed under the second Trump administration in driving these trends.
