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Q&A
Legal support for immigrants losing TPS or work permits
1:32:23
ยท
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Director Molly Schaefer and Commissioner Manuel Castro discuss the city's efforts to provide legal support for immigrants losing TPS or work permits. They explain the steps being taken to assist affected individuals.
- OASO is calling back individuals who applied for TPS to explore other options like asylum or SIDGE
- Legal support is available for those in the shelter system through the asylum application help center
- MOIA acknowledges the vast landscape of legal needs beyond just those in the shelter system
- Prior to recent changes, the city worked closely with federal partners to escalate issues and process concerns
Molly Schaefer
1:32:23
So, one thing that we are doing that's a little tangible is that anyone who we applied for TPS that any of the TPSs that are getting revoked at this point, we've been calling back to try to get them in to see if they're eligible for asylum or see if maybe they're eligible for SIDGE or another
Rita Joseph
1:32:44
Or maybe a status of adjustment as well?
Molly Schaefer
1:32:46
Yeah, so we're trying to call them back in and get them to come back to our asylum application help centers to see if there's something else that we could help them with.
Rita Joseph
1:32:54
Is there legal support in place to support those that are coming to So,
Molly Schaefer
1:33:01
for our shelter system and specifically for the forms of relief that we do as part of our asylum application help center which is very coordinated with our state who funds it.
1:33:13
Yes for this, for our specific population that we have helped.
1:33:18
I defer to Commissioner Castro on the broader landscape of legal needs which we know is vast and bigger than just
Rita Joseph
1:33:24
the It's vast and
Molly Schaefer
1:33:24
And much bigger than just the people in our shelter system.
Rita Joseph
1:33:27
And there are folks who put in their application and they have not heard anything in two years.
1:33:32
Is there any way that you're helping also escalate anything that comes before you?
1:33:35
Are you working with federal partners to do that?
Molly Schaefer
1:33:37
At this point, it's a little harder to work with federal partners on these issues, but before this point, yes.
1:33:43
Kelly, democrats?
1:33:44
Yes.
1:33:45
When when people would come back to us with issues we would absolutely escalate them.
1:33:50
We worked very closely with both the court system and we worked very, very closely with the White House and federal DHS and USCIS to escalate any issues we were seeing and any process issues we were seeing too.
Rita Joseph
1:34:05
Menshin, you wanted to add on something?
Manuel Castro
1:34:08
Yes, director Scheer was speaking to the work of the Southern Application Help Center.
1:34:16
As I mentioned, the Haitian response initiative providers are working around the clock as well as our other legal providers.
1:34:26
But as has been stated, the needs in support especially legal services is quite unprecedented and we understand the magnitude of this.