Memphis Immigration Court Overwhelmed

Memphis, Tn - To get your case heard in one Memphis court, you might have to wait a year or more to see a judge. That's the situation at Memphis' Immigration Court. It's so bad, Tennessee's two senators are begging for help from the Department of Justice.

Memphis' Immigration Court handles matters in Tennessee, Arkansas, and parts of Mississippi. Only two judges were handling that caseload. Now, it's down to one.

Inside the federal building downtown, only one judge physically sits in Immigration Court. In 2008, that court heard more than 34-hundred cases.

"It's in everybody's best interest to have an efficient and affective court," Director of Latino Memphis, Mauricio Calvo, said.

He says his organization encourages illegal immigrants to go through the citizenship process.

"Often times you hear people say, they need to go through the process... Then you have the other side, who's not facilitating this process," Calvo said.

Calvo says this shows the need for immigration reform. Last month, Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker wrote to the Department of Justice, requesting a delay in transferring the court's second judge. Or, transferring another judge to Memphis until a permanent one is in place. Instead, the department rotates judges via video teleconference.

"People need to understand that immigration court is not only for un-documented immigrants. Immigration court affects people who are in the process of becoming legal, to become residents, to become citizens, citizens who are trying to bring their families, get re-united," Calvo said.

Cases that can't wait a year or more for those involved.