Expert: Immigration System Stuck in Past

Raga Justin, Times Union, June 5, 2023

"Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration attorney who teaches immigration law at Cornell University, pointed to climate change as one of the major forces displacing people, especially those who work in agriculture in Central and South America. But climate change does not in itself fulfill the legal requirements for asylum. ... There have not been any significant reforms to the process since the 1990s, Yale-Loehr said. “The world has changed, but our immigration system has not,” Yale-Loehr said. “So the whole system is clogged and that poses problems.” The shortage of immigration lawyers across New York, especially those who do pro bono work, is another challenge, Yale-Loehr said. Because immigration is considered a civil matter, legal representation is not guaranteed. Organizations that offer free legal services have said they are swamped.