US immigration attorneys are remotely representing asylum-seekers stuck in Mexico

Lawyers struggle to remotely represent asylum-seekers in 'Remain in Mexico' program [The World immigration] Because almost no US legal aid organizations have the resources or certification to operate in Mexico, most asylum seekers stuck south of the border have few ways to find lawyers. Because of Migration Protection Protocols, which forces asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico until their cases gets resolved, many US immigration attorneys have found themselves remotely representing clients hundreds of miles away. The attorneys say being unable to meet their clients in person introduces unprecedented difficulty to their jobs — and could violate clients' rights to due process under US law. They have difficulty staying in contact with clients. Some lawyers have even had to buy phones for their clients. And when clients do make it to court in the US, the newly instituted “video teleconference” courts on the border add new hurdles to an already tense situation. Attorneys told The World they are sometimes unable to hear their clients over the link. At least once, one attorney said, a judge requested a background fan be turned off on the asylum-seeker’s side; the sound improved, but the heat was sweltering. [Lawyers struggle to remotely represent asylum-seekers in 'Remain in Mexico' program]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Plus, here are a few more stories you might have missed: [Latino voters could determine the outcome of Super Tuesday. Here's how.]( Latinos' rapid growth as a voting bloc means 2020 will likely be the first election where Latinos comprise the largest minority voting group. Super Tuesday will be the first major test of their influence. [For overseas voters, a primary of their own]( US citizens who live abroad and are registered under the Democratic Party will be able to cast their ballots in the Democrats Abroad primary, a little-known vote that could sway election results. [US researchers on edge as foreign funding comes under increased scrutiny]( A clash has cropped up between the academic mission of sharing knowledge and national security. [The top issue for one Arizona first-time voter? Health care.]( As the 2020 presidential campaign unfolds, Adela Diaz is keeping her eye on one main issue: health care. The public health major at the University of Arizona will soon be a first-time voter. And this year, Latino voters like Diaz are projected to be the biggest minority voting bloc in the country. Thanks for joining us! — Marnette Federis, education editor [The World FB]( [The World Twitter]( [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( The World from PRX and WGBH.