A New Challenge for Asylum Seekers: The Shortage of Lawyers

From: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/19/us/migrants-lawyer-shortages.html?searchResultPosition=1

A new challenge for asylum seekers: the shortage of lawyers. A record number of new migrants has left many with legitimate asylum cases unable to find an attorney to prevent their deportation. Without professional legal help, many asylum seekers with legitimate claims face a real risk of deportation to their home countries, where many of them face possible detention, assault, or even death.

You might also read: “Colorado Approves and Speeds Up Issuance of Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants“

Only about 30 percent of migrants are now able to find a lawyer to represent them in legal proceedings, compared to 65 percent five years ago, according to an analysis by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a research group at Syracuse University.

“The chances of winning your asylum case increase exponentially if you are fortunate enough to find legal representation, but that is a challenge,” said Christopher Ross, vice president of Migration and Refugee Resettlement Services at Catholic Charities USA, a group that helps newly arrived migrants.

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