Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Hannah Strauss, Supervising Attorney of Immigration Court Help Desk and Family Group Legal Orientation Programs at Catholic Charities Community Services
2:33:02
ยท
162 sec
Hannah Strauss from Catholic Charities Community Services testified about the Immigration Court Help Desk and Family Group Legal Orientation Program, which are ending due to federal contract termination. She shared examples of immigration services fraud encountered by their organization and expressed support for Intros 980 and 205 to combat such fraud.
- Described various types of fraud, including notarios filing incorrect applications, scammers posing as attorneys, and misleading "ten-year visa" schemes
- Highlighted the financial and legal consequences of fraud for immigrants, including potential deportation proceedings
- Emphasized the need for increased penalties and improved fraud prevention measures to protect vulnerable immigrants
Hannah Strauss
2:33:02
Hi, good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
2:33:06
My name is Hannah Strauss and I'm the supervising attorney of the Immigration Court Help Desk and the Family Group Legal Orientation Program at Catholic Charities Community Services.
2:33:16
Each year our programs, ICH and FGLOP serve thousands of unrepresented immigrants.
2:33:21
We provide critical education and guidance on deportation proceedings and potential forms of immigration relief as well as application assistance.
2:33:30
We are uniquely within the immigration courts and we provide first come first served consultations so we find that we're often the first free attorneys that people are able to speak to about their immigration cases.
2:33:42
Unfortunately today marks the final day of both ICH and FGLOP as the federal government has chosen to terminate our contracts as of midnight tonight.
2:33:51
Still, Catholic Charities remains deeply committed to serving New York's immigrant community through our broader legal services.
2:33:58
Because of our wide reach, Catholic Charities regularly hears from immigrants who have been the victims of fraud.
2:34:04
We have seen many heartbreaking examples that are echoed through the panelists who have already spoken today, including we have seen notarios who charge fees to complete asylum applications or other types of immigration applications only to file them incorrectly, with incorrect information, or not at all.
2:34:22
Often the immigrant is unaware that the notario is unable to provide legal advice or represent them in their court proceedings.
2:34:29
We have also seen scammers posing as immigration attorneys, tricking migrants into believing that they have applied for asylum, as the panelists spoke about, by issuing fake notices and even fabricating entire virtual court hearings.
2:34:43
This causes not just financial loss but also serious harm to legitimate cases where these individuals are attending fake hearings instead of their government scheduled hearings.
2:34:55
We've also seen many instances of these ten year visa schemes where immigrants are misled into filing baseless applications that lead to the immigrant being placed into removal proceedings.
2:35:08
We've also seen immigration service providers who charge outrageous fees for asylum applications and tie the work to installment payments.
2:35:17
They often then abandon those cases when the individual is no longer able to pay and the individual is left with no application filed and the money lost.
2:35:27
Catholic Charities strongly supports intros nine eighty and two zero five, currently under consideration, which aim to increase penalties for fraudulent practitioners and improve fraud prevention and reporting.
2:35:39
These measures are essential to preventing protecting our most vulnerable neighbors from life altering harm.
2:35:44
Thank you.
Julie Menin
2:35:44
Thank you very much.