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WASHINGTON — A man in a judge’s robe sits in a leather chair in front of an American flag and Department of Justice seal, looking into the camera. As he begins to talk, a woman’s voice translates into Spanish and Spanish subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen.

This is the video that will introduce immigrants to the U.S. courts where they will fight to avoid deportation.

The Chronicle has obtained copies through the Freedom of Information Act of four such videos, made by the Justice Department as part of its policy replacing in-person interpreters at immigrants’ initial court hearings. To date, the videos have been produced in English and Spanish dubbing, for detained immigrants and those who are free from detention.

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The recordings play at migrants’ first hearing, where a judge advises them of their rights and schedules their next court date. So far, the Justice Department is showing the videos in immigration courts in four cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Miami.

The 15- to 20-minute videos run through a sequence of legal advisories, informing immigrants of their rights and obligations. Experts who have analyzed the transcripts or watched the videos in court say the information included is not what judges typically would offer on their own, via interpreters.

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For example, the judge in the videos, acting Chief Immigration Judge Christopher Santoro, spends considerable time explaining how immigrants can volunteer to return to their home countries and warning of the penalties for re-entering after being deported or filing a “frivolous” asylum claim. Judges and immigration lawyers, however, said those details were rarely, if ever, necessary at an initial court appearance.

Santoro fails to mention that immigrants must file their asylum application within one year, which experts say is relevant.

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The Justice Department, which oversees the immigration courts, says the videos replacing interpreters are a cost-saving measure.

If immigrants still have questions and no interpreters are available, judges have to use a telephone service. Although interpreters have been available for many of the hearings in the cities with the videos, the telephonic service backup has slowed down the hearing process, those who have used it say.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicle’s Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan