00:00We continue in the United States. The Donald Trump administration is launching a new attack
00:04on immigrants, this time targeting political asylum seekers. These individuals will no
00:09longer be able to explain their cases to an immigration officer, and a ruling has determined
00:14that these interviews will be canceled. Our New York correspondent, Henry Camelo, has the details.
00:21They walked thousands of miles, fleeing the violence and powering their home countries.
00:27Conditions largely caused by the government's neoliberal policies. Now, with their asylum
00:33proceedings underway in the United States, a new Trump administration directive would force
00:39asylum seekers to face an immigration judge directly, a move that could leave thousands
00:46of them facing deportation orders. This mother, who we'll call Maria, fears the worst due to this
00:53change in immigration law. My fear is being separated from my children, from my daughter,
01:01from both of them, because they are so attached to me. We have never been apart,
01:07many applicants will experience a shock. Instead of having an interview with one of those very
01:21experienced asylum officers, their cases will be referred with an accusation and a request to have
01:33that that applicant deported, will be sent to a courtroom. This courtroom is held by an immigration judge
01:46who has to decide whether to deport this individual or to grant the individual relief via asylum or whatever else
02:00the
02:00individual applies for. Nonetheless, presently, many of the roads and avenues that have been opened systematically
02:14for applicants to try to win their asylum cases have disappeared.
02:20According to U.S. immigration authorities, there are currently more than 4 million pending political asylum applications.
02:29Immigration lawyers estimate that under this measure, over 90% of these applications could be denied, resulting in...
02:39There's going to be a decrease of Latino and Hispanic presence in the United States. There's going to be a
02:47slowdown
02:49of the population growth in the United States. There may be an impact overall to the economy.
03:00Now, many asylum seekers are afraid to appear in court.
03:04We didn't used to be afraid, because it was just a routine appointment to check in.
03:10But today, with everything going on, there is a huge fear of being arrested.
03:17That's where the fear lies. If we don't show up, we face deportation. If we do show up, we have
03:25to fight.
03:25And we have to fight for that. They have to fight for their families.
03:29And it's for her family that Maria refuses to give up.
03:35It's been four years since I arrived here with a single goal, to fight for my children.
03:43Pablo Daniel Jo, and Henry Camillo, TELESUR, New York.
Comments