Visa Lawyer Blog

This Week In Immigration: Immigrants Receive “Fake Dates” on Notices to Appear in Court

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“Fake Dates” Appear on Notices of intent to Deny

Across the nation, news outlets are reporting that dozens of individuals have received court orders from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ordering them to appear in court by a certain date.

The problem? When these individuals showed up to court on the date indicated on the notice, they were turned away by court staffers who notified them that their names were not listed on the judge’s official dockets.

Despite being ordered to appear in court, court officials told these individuals that ICE never coordinated or cleared the dates with the immigration courts.

Reports of “fake dates” or “dummy dates” have emerged across the nation in cities including Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. According to Dallas News, some individuals have even been ordered to appear in court at dates and times when court hearings are not scheduled, including on weekends. Some individuals have been ordered to appear on dates that do not exist, such as September 31st.

Unfortunately, neither the DOJ, ICE, or DHS, has claimed responsibility for this mishap. ICE Spokesman Tim Oberle simply told news outlets that the Executive Office for Immigration Review is, “responsible for setting and re-setting appearance dates upon receipt of a notice to appear filed by ICE.”

If you have received such a notice it is recommended that you contact your attorney as soon as possible.

EADs for TPS El Salvador

TPS Beneficiaries under the El Salvador designation with an EAD that has the category code A12 or C19, will receive an automatic extension of their EAD through March 4, 2019, if either one of the following is true:

  • Your EAD has a marked expiration date of March 9, 2018, and you applied for a new EAD after January 18, 2018; or
  • Your EAD has a marked expiration date of September 9, 2016, and you applied for a new EAD on or after July 8, 2016.

If you have a pending EAD application and believe you are eligible for the additional automatic extension but have not received the Notice of Continued Evidence of Work Authorization by September 4, 2018, please contact USCIS at 202-272-8377 or the USCIS Contact Center number 800-375-5283. The TPS designation for El Salvador officially ends on September 9, 2019.

For more information regarding TPS for El Salvador click here.