PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lauren Migliaccio, Training and Legal Technical Assistance Director at Immigrant Justice Corps
4:47:04
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143 sec
Lauren Migliaccio from Immigrant Justice Corps provides testimony on the legal implications of the 30/60 day shelter stay rule for asylum seekers. She emphasizes that seeking asylum is a lawful act protected by federal law and highlights the detrimental effects of the rule on this vulnerable population.
- Explains the risks of missing immigration court documents due to unstable addresses, which could lead to deportation orders
- Points out that work authorization eligibility begins after 150 days, well beyond the 30/60 day shelter stay limit
- Stresses the importance of consistent mail access for receiving critical communications from immigration courts and USCIS
Lauren Migliaccio
4:47:04
Good afternoon, and thank you to chair Ayala and chair Alvides.
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My name is Lauren Migliaccio.
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I am the training and legal technical assistance director at the Immigrant Justice Corps.
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I am going to reference today some of the main highlights that we have submitted in our written testimony.
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And since we have
UNKNOWN
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already heard such powerful testimony from affected
Lauren Migliaccio
4:47:20
community members, I would like to focus in testimony from affected community members, I would like to focus in on the finer legal points of why the 30 60 day rule is so detrimental to a vulnerable population.
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The first thing I would like to note for the committees is that asylum law is indeed entrenched in US Federal law, and this is a lawful act that people are asserting here.
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This vulnerable population is asserting a claim based on a protected ground on account of race, religion, nationality, a particular social group, or a political opinion.
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This current federal administration has moved to curtail, accessible rights to seek asylum here in this country, but New York has remained steadfast in its determination to provide legal representation to these communities.
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Without stable address and access to legal service providers, people do run the risk of missing immigration court documents.
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They also have an obligation to inform the court within 5 days of an address change.
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We've heard people missing mail and notifications.
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Why that is so dangerous and serious is people can be ordered removed and ordered deported in immigration court if they do not appear due to missing any information and correspondence from the courts.
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Another point here is that people seeking to apply for work authorization only become eligible to do so after 150 days.
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That is long after a 30 or 60 day stay in the immigration shelters.
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One of the things that is so essential and important to communication from the federal government is because people are only eligible for certain benefits once they are considered to be.
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And in order to do so, that is based on their employment authorization documentation, and communication from USCIS.
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Both communication from immigration court and USCIS are not available if people are without access to their mail.
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I see that I'm at time.
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Thank you.
