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Increase seen in dropped deportation cases

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton discuss immigration enforcement results during a news conference in Washington on October 6, 2010. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton discuss immigration enforcement results during a news conference in Washington on October 6, 2010. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg | License Photo

MIAMI, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Immigration judges are dismissing deportation cases in greater numbers in Miami and around the country, but officials disagree on what is causing the increase.

In August and September, judges at Miami immigration court dismissed 631 deportation cases, compared to 449 in June and July, The Miami Herald reported.

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The 324 cases Miami immigration judges dismissed in August is the highest monthly case termination total in the past year, officials said.

Immigration court officials wouldn't speculate on why judges are terminating more cases than before, the Herald reported, but some attorneys said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement trial attorneys seem more willing to drop deportation cases against certain foreign nationals.

ICE chief John Morton issued a memorandum in August outlining a new ICE policy under which trial attorneys were ordered to "promptly dismiss proceedings'' against foreign nationals facing deportation who had a petition filed on their behalf by a relative, the newspaper said.

ICE spokeswoman Gillian M. Brigham said case terminations result from multiple factors, not just ICE trial attorneys filing motions to dismiss.

Gerda Pierre, 22, was among the hundreds of immigrants in deportation proceedings whose cases were recently dismissed in Miami immigration court.

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The Bahamian-born Haitian learned Oct. 7 when she appeared in immigration court that she no longer faced deportation and would be allowed instead to apply for a green card.

``I felt like a heavy weight [was] lifted off my shoulders,'' said Pierre, who had been in proceedings since 2006. ``I felt free.''

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