On Nov. 28, several organizations and immigrant groups released the New York

On Nov. 28, several organizations and immigrant groups released the New York Immigrant Representation Study: Part II. The report pointed out that due to a lack of legal counsel, many immigrants who faced deportation lost their cases and were separated from their families. Because of high legal fees, they could not afford legal representation.

The report suggested that by bringing together a network of various immigrant organizations, legal representation could be provided to all low-income immigrants being held in detention centers. The proposed plan could help 1,800 people, with funds coming from public resources. According to the report, in the past five years, 15,000 people in New York City faced deportation but had no legal representation.

The project was initiated by Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, with the participation of immigrant groups, law schools, bar associations, non-profit organizations, immigration attorneys, and representatives from federal, state and local governments.

According to the report, among those who faced deportation in New York, 60 percent were detained, and 27 percent had not.

Among the immigrants who were not detained, 74 percent of those with legal representation had relatively successful outcomes. Among those who were not represented by legal counsel, only 13 percent were not deported.

Among the immigrants who were detained and represented by an attorney, 18 percent of them had relatively successful outcomes, compared to only 3 percent of immigrants who were detained and not represented by an lawyer.

The report suggested that legal representation should be provided to low-income immigrants who faced deportation and were detained in centers located in Manhattan, Newark and Elizabeth in N.J. and other areas. The project’s pro-bono services would rely on a small group of immigration legal service providers, selected through a bidding process. These providers would stay in touch with the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. In addition to legal representation, the qualified immigrants would also receive assistance with language interpretation, mental health, and social services. The project would cost about $6 million per year.

According to the report’s statistics, the number of people who have been deported in the United States has increased, and New York is no exception. From 2005 to 2010, there was an increase of 63,516 people who faced deportation. In 2011, the detention centers in Federal Plaza and Varick Street had 27,693 more cases than previous years. There were an additional 887 cases from other parts of New York.

Furthermore, from October 2005 to 2010, the Department of Homeland Security detained 34,000 New Yorkers. Since 2006, this figure has increased by 60 percent. The report also revealed that 4 out of 5 detainees in New York, were not allowed to post bail, meaning they did not have the opportunity to seek personal recognizance. In addition, with the cost in New York higher than the national average, about 50 percent of the people could not afford to post bail. As a result, 91 percent of the detainees had to remain in prison.

As calculated by the report, among the detainees in New York, 35 percent came from Queens, 29 percent from Brooklyn, 19 percent from the Bronx, 14 percent from Manhattan, and 3 percent came from Staten Island. The most affected areas were Washington Heights in Manhattan; Jamaica, Queens; Bedford-Stuyvesant/Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Hunts Point/Mott Haven, Fordham/Bronx Park in the Bronx.

The report also pointed out that between 1998 and 2007, 108,434 people who gave birth in the United States were deported. From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2011, 46,486 people who gave birth in the United States were deported. In New York City, from 2005 to 2010, there were at least 13,500 such people. In 2010 alone, there were 3,382 people, an increase of 169 percent compared to 2006.
Translated by Connie Yik Kong from Chinese
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