PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sierra Kraft, Executive Director of Immigrant Children Advocates' Relief Effort (ICARE)
0:34:35
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4 min
Sierra Kraft, Executive Director of ICARE, testified about the critical need for legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant children facing deportation in New York City. She emphasized the vulnerability of these children and the significant impact that having an attorney can have on their cases, with success rates increasing from 15% to over 90% when represented by ICARE attorneys.
- Kraft highlighted the inadequacy of pro se legal clinics for children and stressed the need for full representation by experienced attorneys.
- She called for increased funding and resources to meet the growing demand for legal services for unaccompanied minors, noting that ICARE's funding has not increased in 5 years despite exponential growth in cases.
- Kraft also addressed challenges such as attorney burnout and high turnover, emphasizing the need for long-term solutions including competitive pay and multiyear funding to build and maintain expertise in this field.
Sierra Kraft
0:34:35
Hi, good afternoon.
0:34:37
Thank you chairperson, Aviles, and chairperson Stevens, and members of the committees on immigration and children and youth for the opportunity to speak today and for holding this important hearing.
0:34:45
My name is Sierra Craft, and I'm the executive director of Eye Care.
0:34:49
We're a coalition of legal service organizations providing free legal representation to unaccompanied children facing deportation in New York City.
0:34:57
Unaccompanied children are some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
0:35:01
Many have fled unimaginable violence, trafficking, and instability traveling without their parents, to seek safety and protection here in New York.
0:35:09
But the moment they arrived, they were placed in deportation proceedings expected to defend themselves in a complex and intimidating immigration system without the right to an attorney.
0:35:18
Even adults struggle to navigate this overwhelming system, how can we expect children to manage it on their own?
0:35:24
I recently sat in immigration court and saw 2 young brothers from El Salvador, ages 2 and 6, sitting at a table before a judge expected to represent themselves.
0:35:35
The judge gave them a continuance and urged the family to find an attorney, warning that without one, the boys would likely be ordered removed.
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After the hearing, I spoke with their family and they told me they had been searching for an attorney for over a year.
0:35:49
I could sense their fear and it was truly a heartbreaking moment.
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No child should have to face this immigration court alone.
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And access to an attorney isn't just helpful.
0:36:00
It can mean the difference between life and death.
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Without representation, these children stand only a 15% chance of winning their cases, and this can result in getting deported back to dangerous conditions where their safeties, safety and their lives are at risk.
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But with a trained lawyer by their side, those odds have improved dramatically.
0:36:19
Children supported by eye care attorneys have over a 90% success rate, giving them a real chance to stay and build bright futures here in New York.
0:36:28
While the administration's response to the broader influx of asylum seekers has been setting up prosay legal clinics, these models are not appropriate for children.
0:36:36
Children cannot be expected to represent themselves.
0:36:39
They need full representation from experienced attorneys who can guide them through the complex hated laws and procedures.
0:36:45
And without it, their cases are almost impossible to win.
0:36:49
New York continues to rank 4th in the country for the number of unaccompanied children with more than 8000 released to sponsors every year.
0:36:57
But the resources needed to serve them have not kept pace.
0:37:01
Collaboratives like Eye Care, which focused specifically on serving unaccompanied minors, have not seen an increase in funding in 5 years.
0:37:08
Even as the number of children needing legal services has grown exponentially.
0:37:12
This year, Eye Care's coalition of several 7 legal service providers requested funding to increase the number of legal screenings, direct representation, and know your rights' trainings, yet despite the growing waitlist and overwhelming demand, we were not we were approved for far less than what's needed to meet the fully meet the need.
0:37:30
And without additional support, more children will be up against the system alone and likely fall through the cracks.
0:37:37
The challenges we face aren't just about funding.
0:37:40
The attorneys working on the front lines of this issue are also stretched thin.
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Providers are managing overwhelming caseloads while grappling with vicarious trauma, burnout, and low wages.
0:37:51
High turnover and staffing shortages make it difficult to maintain the expertise needed to support these children effectively.
0:37:58
What we need is long term solutions to build capacity such as investing in multiyear funding, expanding strategic programs to retain experienced attorneys through competitive pay and scaling resources for collaboratives And without these investments, too many children will age out of eligibility for protections like special immigrant juvenile status or simply remain undocumented and being forced to live in the shadows.
0:38:23
Collaboratives like eye care are life lines for these children.
0:38:26
And since they're founding, we've supported over 14,000 young people offering not just critical legal representation, but also case management that helps them build stable lives in a city they now call home.
0:38:37
But to continue this work and keep up with the growing demand, we need the city and this administration to prioritize additional funding specifically for unaccompanied minors, not only for legal services, but for case management.
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These wraparound services ensure they have the support they need to thrive beyond winning their legal cases.
0:38:55
We urge city council to invest in legal services to prevent unnecessary deportation and ensure that every child has access to a skilled attorney.
0:39:03
With your support, we can make sure that no child has to face this process alone.
0:39:08
Thank you for your tireless efforts and advocacy to champion the rights of immigrant children.
0:39:12
We look forward to our continued partnership and ensuring we live our values as a sanctuary city.
0:39:17
Thank you again for putting together this hearing and for your ongoing commitment to supporting these vulnerable members of our community.