NY judge sheds black robes for kids facing court

NEW YORK (AP) - A federal immigration judge says his priority when dealing with traumatized children facing deportation is to create a kinder, gentler courtroom.

New Yorks assistant chief immigrant judge, Robert Weisel, told a City Council hearing Monday that he takes off his black robes and speaks to young children from the bench in a more casual tone.

Our objective is to lower the level of anxiety, lower the level of fear, because after all, when you see someone in a black robe, its very scary, the judge said.

Weisel testified before the councils Committee on Immigration, which is assessing the needs of children smuggled into the United States from Central America. The cases of more than 1,100 of them are pending before New York City immigration judges. Some face deportation.

Almost $2 million was recently allocated to cover the childrens legal expenses - $1 million from the city and $900,000 in private funds.

New York is the nations second leading state - after Texas - in receiving these children, some as young as 5.

Officials say many of them appear in court for the first time with no legal representation.

A coalition of not-for-profit groups preparing attorneys for the task include the New York Law School-based Safe Passage Project, which has trained nearly 800 lawyers in the past few months to work with the often anxious, vulnerable young refugees appearing alone before judges in a daily docket processing the cases.

The question we face now is how will we treat these children relocating to New York state? asks project founder and law professor Lenni Benson, who urges legislators to provide additional social workers and educators to integrate the youths into American society.

Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said at Mondays hearing that on a recent visit to a courtroom, she was distressed to see traumatized children standing before a judge without a lawyer.

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NY judge sheds black robes for kids facing court