Wednesday, June 14, 2017

N.Y. Immigration Courts Face 2-Year Delay After Judges Sent To The Border



By Beth Fertig

Three years ago, Maira fled El Salvador, crossed into the United States illegally and asked for asylum. She says her partner of 12 years was abusive, physically and emotionally, and that she has scars on her body to prove it.

But she's waited a long time for her asylum hearing in New York.

The Trump administration is dispatching immigration judges from around the country to courts that are closer to the southern border as part of its crackdown on illegal immigration. That decision is draining resources from New York City's immigration court — the busiest in the nation, with a backlog of 80,000 cases.

"I want a definitive answer; it's really important to be with my family. And to be waiting and waiting is an anguish for me," she said in Spanish. She asked that NPR not use her full name to protect her privacy as a victim. Her lawyer, Shouan Riahi, who is with Central American Legal Assistance, translated.

Click here for the full article.

Source: npr.com (via The Empire Report) 

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