Asylum seekers give first-hand account of their NYC experience
The survey says 95% of responders intend to seek asylum but over 93% don’t have access to legal services.
A nonprofit organization surveyed migrants entering New York City about their experience seeking asylum and what services they’re in need of.
The survey was conducted by Make The Road New York, a nonprofit based out of Elmhurst that provides services for immigrants. The survey was conducted among over 700 recently arrived migrants that the nonprofit says provided eye-opening information about what they need.
According to Make The Road, survey results show that migrants urgently need access to legal services, necessary work authorization, and basic resources like permanent housing and health care. It says 95% of responders intend to seek asylum but over 93% don’t have access to legal services.
"There is an actual ticking bomb on that… there's only so much longer that you can actually wait to submit your asylum application not having the right legal representation,” said Yaritza Mendez, co-organizing director for Make The Road New York.
Elected officials joined the nonprofit on Tuesday to call on the city to invest at least $140 million in immigration legal services for migrants in the upcoming 2024 fiscal budget.
News 12 has reached out to the mayor’s office, who say they’ve budgeted over $60 million for free immigration-related legal services this year, and are asking the federal government for additional resources.
