Immigration courts see rise in recalendared cases

(NBC, KYMA) - President Donald Trump's mass deportation effort means a lot of old immigration cases are now being put back on the docket, a process called recalendaring.

"I have everything here. I've been here all my life. I wouldn't know what to do if they take me out to Mexico," said Jose Juan Cazares-Moreno, whose case has been recalendared.

Cazares-Moreno has been in the U.S. for almost 40 years. A Green Card holder who has a misdemeanor conviction from 2001 which was later expunged.

His immigration case was administratively closed in 2016 when the government decided he wasn't a priority to deport.

Since then, he's worked, paid taxes and welcomed many grandchildren.

"If they leave, he's already upset. Like, 'I can't believe they left.' I'm like, 'Well, they gotta go home and go to school,'" said Brenda Cazares, Cazares-Moreno's wife.

"He's not only a good father, but he's also a good role model," said Francisca Cazares, Cazares-Moreno's daughter.

Cazares remembers going, with her father, to immigration court when she was a child.

"It was horrible not knowing. But then when the case got closed, it was like, 'Okay, we're finally set free.' Like the weight was lifted off our shoulders," Cazares expressed.

However, that weight returned earlier this year when the Trump Administration recalendared his case; basically, moving forward with deporting him all these years later and bringing him back to court.

"I feel like a lot of these cases being recalendared are pointless. It's only so the government can meet their quota," said Jordan Schweller, an immigration attorney.

Data obtained and analyzed by an NBC affiliate in San Diego shows nearly 3,000 cases were recalendared through July, a 750% spike compared to last year.

One of those thousands, Cazares-Moreno's family of American citizens is left with questions.

"What exactly have you seen differently from 2016 to now within my dad that you feel it would be necessary for him to be removed from the country?" Cazares remarked.

Plus, a combination of fear and faith.

"I was nervous, especially seeing the ICE officers out there, made me, like, kinda got me freaked out," Cazares-Moreno spoke.

"He's my husband and I will follow him wherever it is that he, you know, where God places us. That's where I'm gonna be," Brenda declared.