Inside Chicago's Immigration Court and the maze migrants must navigate to stay
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Changing an address after a move sounds pretty simple.
However, for tens of thousands of new arrivals in Chicago, the process is anything but straightforward.
CBS 2 met DePaul Law students Joceline Carrera and Michelle Barrera-Valenzuela on their way out of Immigration Court, where they spent the morning lending their help.
"I think we can definitely see it on their faces, the anxiety, the fear, the uncertainty," said Barrera-Valenzuela.
"If their forms are in English and they don't speak English, they need directions," said Carrera.
They explained that most migrants don't know Chicago, especially not the Loop, or even where to go once they're inside the courthouse.
And any misstep in filling out the forms for their immigration proceedings could have dire implications.
"I'm also encouraging people to take a photo of it. Try and get it time-stamped. Phone number and email address if they have it."
"It's a one-page form, pretty basic, but very high stakes," said professor Sioban Albiol.
Albiol, Director of DePaul's Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic, said not knowing when to update an address with the court is one of the more critical issues their volunteers encounter with migrants.
"The person will never receive the notice. They won't show up for court, and an order of deportation will be entered in their absence," Albiol said.
Professor Albiol explained that even migrants moving from one shelter to another must update that information with the court to continue receiving information about their hearings.
An issue soon to be exacerbated by an announcement this week that about 800 migrants staying at five Chicago Park District facilities serving as shelters will soon be moved to other locations to reopen those sites to the public.
Two more buses are expected to drop off new arrivals in the Chicago area Thursday as some migrants who have stayed in city shelters past the 60-day window are set to be evicted.
"I think it is a very scary process for people who just don't have the information sometimes," said Carrera.
And for these volunteers, it's personal. Barrera-Valenzuela told CBS 2 that her mom was undocumented.
"She would tell me that her fear of being deported kept her up at night," she said.
Which is why they want to do whatever they can to help new arrivals understand the process.
"They just need some guidance," said Barrera-Valenzuela.
As of Thursday morning, there were about 10,000 residents in 23 shelters run by the city and state. That's down from nearly 15,000 migrants in 27 shelters at the start of the year.
