Declaration from Elaine J. Cintron

My client and I had no privacy while we worked on her declaration. ICE officials were constantly walking around us. We could hear children crying. We also heard an ICE officer reprimanding a mother because her child was too loud. There were so many distractions that I cannot be certain I heard my client’s whole story…. When I returned to the “law library,” I met with other women who also had received positive credible fear determinations. As I reviewed their paperwork, I began to realize that some of them had signed for a prompt hearing. When I asked why, they said they did not understand. They thought that if they signed, they would get out sooner.