They Fled Gang Violence And Domestic Abuse. An NYC Immigration Judge Denied Them Asylum

[This article is a useful answer to people who cite asylum denial rates to claim asylum seekers are all economic immigrants, that they're coached, etc. WNYC’s Beth Fertig  shows how the system’s stacked against migrants, even the ones lucky enough to have legal representation.—TPOI editor]

By Beth Fertig, WNYC

September 26, 2019

Seventeen year-old Josue and his mom, Esperanza, were visibly drained. They had just spent more than four hours at their asylum trial inside an immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, answering questions from their attorney and a government lawyer. We are withholding their full names to protect their identities because they’re afraid.

“It was exhausting,” said Josue, whose angular haircut was neatly combed for the occasion. In Spanish, he told us the judge seemed nice but, “you feel bad if you don’t know if you are going to be allowed to stay or if you have to go.”[…]

Read the full article:

https://gothamist.com/news/they-fled-gang-violence-and-domestic-abuse-nyc-immigration-judge-denied-them-asylum

Josue and Esperanza. Photo: Beth Fertig/WNYC