Saul fled through Mexico to the United States seeking asylum after a drug trafficking gang killed his brother. There was no investigation into the murder, and when Saul went to the prosecutor's office to get them to open a case, the gang threatened him and his family.
When Saul arrived in the U.S., he was held in detention for 16 days. There, he was kept under a bright light for 24 hours a day with nothing to keep warm and no ability to bathe. Saul was eventually released from detention but, without a lawyer, he was left to navigate the complex asylum process alone. "I didn't know anything about these forms because I didn't have a lawyer," said Saul. "When I had my first court session, the judge asked me if I had completed the paperwork to apply for asylum." |
Saul's story is not an uncommon one: in New York State alone, there are over 380,000 cases pending in immigration court, and in more than half, people are fending for their safety without legal counsel.
That's why Vera is fighting for universal representation, which would provide the right to representation for anyone facing deportation who can't afford it on their own.
It's also why we are advocating for the passage of the Fairness to Freedom Act, federal legislation that would enshrine this right across the United States, along with its companion bill, the SHIELD Act, to support the legal service providers on the ground in states and localities nationwide.
We're only a few days away from National Immigrants Day—a day when we reflect on the contributions and values that immigrants bring to our country. Take a moment to join Vera in learning from stories like Saul's and about other people impacted by the harms of our immigration system.
In solidarity,
Vera Institute of Justice *Name changed to protect identity. |
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