Federal prosecutors in Seattle and surrounding areas of Washington state are forfeiting court fights over detained immigrants because they don’t have the resources to keep up with the flood of cases.
Thousands of detainees have challenged their detention in federal court, requiring Justice Department prosecutors to formally respond to all the filings in the cases before a judge can rule. The Justice Department also frequently has to follow-up in court even after the judge rules for the detainee to be released. While the filings are voluminous across the country, the Western District of Washington is effectively removing itself from arguing the cases in court.
