Exclusive: An overview of the immigration court system

(Editor’s note: The article previously stated, “The detention center is under the Department of Justice and falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge,” but the correct information is, “”The detention center is operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The immigration court which is run by the Executive Office for Immigration Review is physically located within the detention center.”

Immigration and border security continue to make national headlines.

News 11 visited The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in Florence, Ariz. and observed multiple court hearings for immigrants charged by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

News 11’s Vanessa Dillon observed several court hearings Tuesday. The majority were asylum seeking cases.

Several families were outside of the courthouse, each with a different story to tell about a family member’s experience.

According to an employee with the Florence Detention Center, most detainees are Central American migrants.

The employee said several of the detainees are first-offenders visiting the Florence Immigration Courthouse.

Second offenders attend court hearings at the Florence Correctional Center.

Detainees that appeared in court Tuesday were immigrants from a variety of countries ranging from India to Mexico.

The majority of the detainees at the detention center were detained by either Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.