Courts of fear for immigrant violence vics

U.S. IMMIGRATION and Customs Enforcement’s increasing presence in state courts has had a “chilling effect” on immigrant survivors of violence, advocates claim in a forthcoming survey the Daily News obtained.

The Immigrant Defense Project conducted a statewide survey, including all five New York City boroughs, of 225 advocates and lawyers from 31 counties over three weeks in June.

Those surveyed work in criminal, family and civil courts.

One-third of the participants said they had spotted ICE officers, as well as agency vehicles, around state courts, including in the five city boroughs.

And 44 of those surveyed said they had clients whom ICE arrested in state courts, the Immigrant Defense Project data claim.

One-third of respondents, or 75, specifically work with immigrants victimized by violent crime.

An additional 13% specifically work with immigrants in Housing Court.

Of those advocates working with immigrant violent crime victims, 70% have had clients who are now too scared to get help in court because of ICE’s increased presence there, according to the soon-to-be-released report.

More than half of that group, 37%, said they had clients who didn’t seek orders of protection because they fear ICE.

The same percentage of those advocates said they had clients who didn’t seek a certification proving they were victims of violent crime.

Without the certification, they can’t access a special visa program for victims of violent crime, said Lee Wang, the Immigrant Defense Project staff attorney who led the project.

This has had a “chilling effect on survivors of violence,” the Immigrant Defense Project contends.

Of those surveyed who work specifically with victims, 48% claim to have worked with immigrants who didn’t pursue custody or visitation rights because of ICE concerns.

And 50% of the advocates said they had clients who feared going to court because their abusive partners cruelly threatened ICE would be present.