The Department of Justice issued a $1.8 million grant to help expedite the immigration court process, which has encountered a backlog of cases.

With the Corporation for National and Community Service, the DOJ aim for the grant is to "increase the effective and efficient adjudication of immigration proceedings" notably involving undocumented immigrant children who came to the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian. According to a DOJ statement, AmeriCorps, which is administered by the CNCS, will manage the $1.8 million grant and will disburse funds to legal aid organizations to hire nearly 100 lawyers and paralegals to guide the unaccompanied, undocumented children.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder commented on the $1.8 million grant at the Hispanic National Bar Association's annual convention in Washington, D.C., noting the "most pressing" domestic challenge in the U.S. is the number of unaccompanied, undocumented minors crossing the southern U.S.-Mexico border.

"In the meantime -- within America's borders -- the increasing numbers of unaccompanied children appearing in our immigration courts present an urgent challenge: how to conduct immigration proceedings in an efficient manner while any claims for relief are presented as clearly as possible," Holder said.

"One way to address that challenge is to facilitate access to legal representation for these children. Though these children may not have a Constitutional right to a lawyer, we have policy reasons and a moral obligation to ensure the presence of counsel."

According to Holder, the $1.8 million will be awarded to legal aid organizations in over 15 U.S. cities including Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; El Paso, Texas; New York; San Antonio and Seattle. He noted the justice AmeriCorps members will also help identify if immigrant children were human trafficking or abuse victims. The grant will also provide training sessions for justice AmeriCorps members to familiarize themselves with immigration laws, regulations specifically for unaccompanied minors, ethics and trauma information.

"Young immigrant children often enter the U.S. after a long and dangerous journey," CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer said in a statement. "This funding will enable organizations to engage AmeriCorps members in providing critical support for these children, many of whom are escaping abuse, persecution, or violence. As a result of this partnership, AmeriCorps will play a role in improving the effective and efficient adjudication of these very difficult cases."

Holder said the initiative will also empower new generations of aspiring lawyers and paralegals to serve their country and provide legal aid to "some of the most vulnerable individuals" who are cooperating with the U.S. immigration system.

"Most importantly, it will bring our system closer to our highest ideals -- because the way we treat those in need, and particularly young people who may be fleeing from abuse, persecution and violence, goes to the core of who we are as a nation," Holder said to the HNBA.

Meanwhile, the immigration court system has encountered a record backlog of cases. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, the national immigration court system has a backlog of over 400,000 cases as of August. One immigrant's case may take "several years" for a judge to issue a final order to stay or leave the U.S.

As Latin Post reported, Congress increased its funding for immigration courts from 2013's $289 million to $312 million for 2014. Despite the funding increase, the number of unaccompanied, undocumented immigrant children is projected to grow to 90,000 by the end of this year. The White House also forecast about 150,000 undocumented children will enter the U.S. by 2015.

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