As NYC braces for another influx of migrants, people seeking asylum are already facing mounting court delays that jeopardize their legal status.
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023.for another influx of migrants, people seeking asylum are already facing mounting court delays that jeopardize their legal status. And the backlog is set to grow worse, immigration attorneys say.
Many newcomers wait outside for hours in hopes of an appointment with ICE to kickstart the court process, only to be turned away empty-handed. Migrants and attorneys say this has continued to be the case for months, after GothamistA long line forms outside the main immigration courthouse in Manhattan last fall. Backlogs caused in part by an influx of asylum seekers have made for long waits for migrants seeking help with sundry issues.
An Ecuadorian woman in her 30s, who arrived in mid-2021 and asked that her full name not be used for fear of jeopardizing her immigration case, and her attorneys said she was ordered deported last fall for missing a court hearing after being turned away at the courthouse. Spokespeople for ICE and the Executive Office for Immigration Review didn’t respond to a request for comment.Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative holds weekly legal presentations at a local church.
Meanwhile, many nonprofit immigration attorneys maintain full caseloads, leaving the cash-strapped new arrivals with little formal guidance or help to navigate an increasingly complicated process. Applying for asylum not only offers newcomers a pathway to citizenship in the country, but is also a prerequisite for many to obtain"Even the slightest additional burden on the system as it exists has laid bare the [bureaucratic] problems in it," said Grace Choi, a legal fellow at NYLAG.
Lately, she added: “What we're just focused on is getting as many people as we can with their applications in before the one you deadline.”Local immigration providers are also mulling possibilities, including a class action suit, to help migrants — potentially thousands
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