By: brandone
CNN
February 19, 2021
Once migrants crossed the border, organizations in the region took over, including Jewish Family Service, a non-profit organization that works with migrants and has a leading role in the effort. The asylum seekers who arrived Friday were transported to a hotel in San Diego where they'll quarantine for a period before relocating, said Michael Hopkins, CEO of Jewish Family Service of San Diego.
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February 13, 2021
Advocates point to misleading media reports, rumors and smugglers’ lies encouraging asylum seekers to try crossing before policy changes are in place. Even the plan announced Friday will not address the thousands more who were waiting, because of other Trump policies, for the opportunity to request asylum in the first place. Since November, staff with Jewish Family Service, which runs a migrant shelter in San Diego, has seen a trickle of families like Mercedes’ released to their care. In the past week or so, the number of families received by Jewish Family Service has increased, though the numbers are still much lower than other times in the shelters’ history. Most of these additional families were caught crossing illegally into the United States by Border Patrol, according to Kate Clark of Jewish Family Service.
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Telemundo 20
February 9, 2021
Llegan más a la frontera. Incluye una entrevista con Kate Clark del equipo de inmigración de Jewish Family Service.
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Border Report
February 9, 2021
Since January, hundreds of migrant families seeking asylum have found themselves north of the border after being released by Border Patrol agents. JFS is leading the response in San Diego, together with our partners at the San Diego Rapid Response Network. Interview with JFS Border Service Advocate, Eitan Peled.
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The New York Times
February 6, 2021
Frontpage story in The New York Times reports how JFS is creating the model for how to welcome the stranger while protecting public health during a pandemic.
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Buzzfeed News
February 5, 2021
The changes to how immigrant families are being processed appear to only be happening in some parts of the border. JFS’s Senior Director of Immigration, Kate Clark, reports a sizeable increase in asylum seekers in January compared to the past ten months.
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CNN
January 28, 2021
While the Biden Administration has taken very positive first steps to end the Remain in Mexico program, there is still more to do to get families out of danger. Kate Clark, JFS Senior Director of Immigration, is interviewed about the increasing confusion and danger for those waiting in Mexico.
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Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune
January 21, 2021
Focusing on the thousands of asylum seekers who have been trapped due to policies and the pandemic, Kate Morrisey interviews one family who is in Tijuana facing great danger and seeking assistance for their son. Our attorneys are actively trying to help.
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The San Diego Union-Tribune
September 18, 2019
The new cap on refugee resettlements has drastically affected the number of people arriving in San Diego. Our Director of Refugee Services, Etleva Bejko, explains the changing demographics of the refugees who are still allowed to enter the U.S.
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MedPage Today
September 17, 2019
This two-part series details the poor medical care asylum-seekers receive while in ICE custody and highlights how humanitarian organizations, such as the San Diego Rapid Response Network, often have to treat migrants with severe health issues.
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Los Angeles Times
September 4, 2019
Tom K. Wong, director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at UCSD, highlights the abuses asylum-seeking families experience in federal immigration detention facilities. Wong and his team independently analyzed data from 17,000+ asylum-seekers who came through our Migrant Family Shelter and uncovered a trend of substandard living conditions, physical and verbal abuse, and inaccurate legal information at these facilities.
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UCSD Study Uncovers Systematic Abuses of Asylum-Seeking Families in Immigration Detention Facilities
ABC 10, Associated Press, Business Insider, KPBS, NBC, Telemundo 20, The New York Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Times of San Diego, Voice of San Diego
September 4, 2019
“These findings raise serious due process concerns,” said Kate Clark, JFS Senior Director of Immigration Services. “If asylum-seeking families are not being given vital instructions about their immigration proceedings in a language they can read or understand, how can we expect them to navigate an already complex legal process that is increasingly stacked against them?”
Media Coverage:
AP Story | New York Times | Business Insider | KPBS | NBC | ABC 10 News | Telemundo 20 | Times of San Diego | Voice of San Diego | The San Diego Union-Tribune
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CBS 8
August 22, 2019
After four months in Tijuana, the wife and children of a US citizen were allowed to continue their asylum case in the US. They stayed in our Migrant Family Shelter before reconnecting with family and preparing for immigration court.
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The Jewish News of Northern California
August 12, 2019
Members of the Jewish and Latino legislative caucuses toured our Migrant Family Shelter and an ICE detention center to get a first-hand look at the difficult journey asylum-seekers face.
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The San Diego Union-Tribune
August 12, 2019
Without attorney representation, migrants are having a hard time preparing for their asylum interviews if forced to Remain in Mexico. And some face grave dangers if forced to stay in Mexico and need protection. “Fear of Return” protection is very difficult to come by.
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The San Diego Union-Tribune
July 29, 2019
Migrants who are returned to Mexico to wait for their court date under the MPP are at high risk for kidnapping, human trafficking, and extortion. Our immigration attorney Luis Gonzalez talks about the danger asylum-seekers, particularly women with young children, face during their stay in Tijuana. The legal team at JFS is dedicated to representing vulnerable families as they search for a better life in the United States.
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The San Diego Union-Tribune
July 28, 2019
This frontpage Union-Tribune story investigates the challenges and importance of legal representation for asylum seekers who fall under Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), otherwise known Remain in Mexico.
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La Mesa Courier
July 26, 2019
A group of local artists sold handmade mugs to raise money for the JFS Migrant Family Shelter. The fundraiser brought in $2,500, which will directly support asylum-seeking families as they search for a better life in the U.S.
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KPBS
July 25, 2019
A mother and her child – assisted by our pro-bono immigration attorneys – attempted to plead their case for asylum in U.S. immigration court. This mother and her teenage son are running from gangs in El Salvador that killed other members of their family. Even though they have already been robbed in Mexico and live in constant fear of being found by the gangs, this family has been placed in the Migrant Protection Protocols and must remain in Mexico until they can pass a “credible fear” interview. Our legal team will continue to fight for this family, and many others like them, in the hopes of helping them find safer and more secure lives in the U.S.
Click here to watch the video from KPBS (The story begins at the 3:15 mark)
Click here to read the KPBS article
ABA Journal
July 24, 2019
"Some of the asylum-seekers do have support on the north side of the border, but it’s difficult to access that support when it’s across an international line," says JFS Immigration Attorney Leah Chavarria.
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