Our Broken Refugee Process Is Sending Haitian Asylum Seekers Back to Danger
"I first met David in November 2021, while volunteering as an attorney for asylum seekers detained at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Aurora, Colorado. David [] has a story similar to many asylum seekers in this country. It’s a story that speaks to the brokenness of how we assess asylum claims."
In a powerful op-ed, Catherine Flanders, a pro bono attorney supported by RMIAN and the Immigration Justice Campaign, details her efforts working alongside David, an asylum-seeker from Haiti who came to the United States in search of safety. Despite profound efforts to have his claim fairly and adequately considered, David was deported without even the opportunity to file an asylum application. Catherine's account highlights many of the flaws in our system, which too often prioritizes expediency over a fair day in court.