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UCs, caregivers, and providers all stressed that legal support was more important than attending to health or mental health concerns because of the difficulty in obtaining legal support, the UCs’ ongoing asylum cases, and the fear of deportation. UCs remain in the U.S. during evaluation of their asylum cases, which can now take up to five years due to the large backlog of cases Furthermore, this legal stress is compounded by the low numbers of youth who are being granted asylum, with only 655 youth being granted asylum relief out of 23,293 total decisions in the third quarter of 2023. In addition to these numbers, many UCs go through the legal immigration proceedings to access asylum without a lawyer, even with a clear case of credible fear. Only one third of UCs are represented by an attorney. Legal representation is the single most important factor influencing case outcome, with children being five times more likely to get asylum with an attorney [Citing TRAC data and research].
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