PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Alan Keller, Physician caring for asylum seekers and refugees
4:34:16
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137 sec
Dr. Alan Keller, a physician with over 30 years of experience caring for asylum seekers and refugees, testifies about the 60-day shelter rule for asylum seekers in New York City. He urges for the immediate suspension of the rule and proposes alternative approaches to support asylum seekers.
- Recommends putting the 60-day rule on hold due to changing circumstances since November 5th
- Suggests rebranding the rule to focus on mandatory meaningful caseworker meetings every 30 or 60 days
- Offers to help craft appropriate questionnaires for caseworker meetings and emphasizes the need for oversight
Allen Keller
4:34:16
If I skip the line, I was out my son is in New York.
4:34:20
So I'm, Alan Keller.
4:34:20
I'm a Alan Keller.
4:34:21
I'm a physician, who's been caring for asylum seekers and refugees for over 30 years.
4:34:28
I work at a, public hospital.
4:34:30
I speak as an individual citizen.
4:34:32
Thank you so much.
4:34:33
I'll skip to the cut to the chase.
4:34:35
First of all, the look of compassion in all your eyes, reassures me.
4:34:41
I would recommend, effective immediately, that the 60 day rule be put on hold.
4:34:47
It's a different world since November 5th, and we just have to realize that.
4:34:53
So I would hope and think the mayor, who actually has done so much in creating systems, even though I think he's shooting himself in the foot right now.
4:35:03
But I think he'll understand that, and we need to not be penny wise, dollar foolish.
4:35:08
We are about to learn exactly what it means to be a sanctuary city.
4:35:12
The reason the number of people arriving is down is not because the things that drive people to flee, which is really the question I ask and we all need to ask, have gotten better.
4:35:24
It's just it's gotten more dangerous and actually now more difficult to get into this country, and it's about to get a lot more.
4:35:32
And so given it's gonna be fewer people, all the less reason that we're gonna need to, you know, have this rule.
4:35:39
The other thing is I guess I would rename or brand it.
4:35:42
Rather than a 30 day or 60 day rule for departure, We heard what I believe is aspirational, but maybe can be met, which is the, cornucopia of case management and social services.
4:35:56
But let's have a 30 or 60 day mandate that every 30 or 60 days, a meaningful, caseworker meeting, not how are you leaving, but what do you need, how are you.
4:36:09
And my colleagues and I would be happy, to help craft, an appropriate questionnaire and thing for that.
4:36:16
I do think there needs to be oversight though on, on on that.
4:36:23
Let me think if there was anything else, do away with the rule, asylum, the, case management now.
4:36:32
Well, thank you.
