Week 8: Watching from the Gallery

This week, I participated in GAIN’s Court Watch Program, an initiative designed to observe immigration court proceedings and gather information about trends in hearings, ICE presence, and judicial decisions. Volunteers range from undergraduate students to practicing attorneys, and the program ultimately helps shed light on what is often an opaque and intimidating system.

I attended a master calendar hearing, where I observed proceedings for more than ten individuals and families. It was insightful to see how the immigration judge interacted with clients and their attorneys, and to better understand how these cases unfold at this early stage.

What struck me most, though, was the emptiness of the room. Aside from the clients and their attorneys, my coworker and I were the only observers present. The process felt lonely, as if people were walking through one of the hardest experiences of their lives with very few witnesses. It made me think about how isolating immigration court must feel for clients, especially given the high stakes.

That’s part of what Court Watch is all about: creating community. By showing up, by observing, and by holding space for clients in these moments, the program brings advocacy into the courtroom in a different way. It was powerful to be part of that effort, and to see firsthand how even quiet acts of presence can matter.