QUESTION
How has the collaboration been between the help center and legal service nonprofit providers, and what improvements have been suggested?
2:07:45
·
100 sec
The Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO) collaborates with nonprofit legal service providers through roundtable meetings, joint clinics, and shared suggestions for process improvements.
- Roundtable meetings and nonprofit staff collaboration are key elements of OASO's approach.
- The Red Cross and legal providers have organized their own clinics to aid asylum seekers.
- Nonprofits have suggested several improvements, including allowing online applications for all and removing application fees.
- Specific recommendations include not requiring a 2 hole punch for pro se applications.
- OASO continuously works with the federal government to implement these suggestions.
Alexa Avilés
2:07:45
What has collaboration look like between the help center and the legal service nonprofit providers?
Molly Schaeffer
2:07:52
So we've had, as I mentioned, we had a couple of round table meetings.
2:07:58
We've also had a lot of non profit staff who are are working with us.
2:08:02
We also at Red Cross was also some of the legal providers doing their own clinics that per se clinic.
2:08:08
So we've had lots of different opportunities to talk and figure out how to do best by our clients.
2:08:14
And, you know, they've brought some suggestions on how we can do things better.
2:08:17
We've brought some of their suggestions on how to make the process better to the federal government to try to get those process improvements.
Alexa Avilés
2:08:25
You anticipated my next question.
2:08:27
If you could, could you color a little bit more around what some of the improvements recommendations you've see from nonprofits.
2:08:35
Yeah.
Molly Schaeffer
2:08:35
I think we all collectively wanna make it the ability to actually apply online for everybody regardless if they need a fee a fee waiver or not.
2:08:46
That's one of our biggest ones.
2:08:48
Getting rid of the fees would be probably a really big boon for everybody.
2:08:55
Simple things, like not requiring a 2 hole punch for a prosay application.
2:09:00
Would be a really big deal, and we've really pushed on that one.
2:09:05
But there's it sort of runs the gamut.
2:09:07
I'm happy to share our specific ask because we've again talked to the the legal providers, and we've done just based on our own, I would like call it expertise at this point on prosay applications, we've been able to kind of create a list that we constantly work with the federal government on.
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Are there ongoing discussions with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to increase funding for immigration legal services?
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What resources are available through the Mayor's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO) for providers, and can providers use the space at help centers?
