Facing legal uncertainty, some NYC Haitians seek ‘solid’ help from Catholic Charities 

MANHATTAN – About seven years ago, Estephen Leus fled his home in the Artibonite town of Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye to escape political partisans who were out to kill him as furor swirled around Haiti’s contentious elections. As he hid out in the mountainous region’s valleys and hilltop towns, Leus got word the rivals had killed his cousin and were tracking him down.

Leus crossed over to the Dominican Republic, but the threats persisted. He then flew to Chile, with no visa needed. Over time, Leus settled in Valdivia, started a family and advanced in his job at a penitentiary to become an inventory manager.

By this time in 2021, racism against Haitians in Chile that had been bubbling for years reached a boiling point. For Leus, the xenophobia appeared in the form of a jealous Chilean co-worker who began to harass, threaten and then eventually stalk Leus. When the rival tried to stab him in late June 2021, Leus fled again – this time with his wife and child toward the U.S.

After a two-month trek through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Mexico, the family reached Del Rio, Texas, along with an estimated 20,000 Haitians. Immigration officials allowed the trio to enter, and they went on to Brooklyn, where some relatives live. 

There, someone told Leus to go to Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees. The local nonprofit then referred him to Catholic Charities for help pursuing his asylum claim through its Haitian Response Initiative, or HRI.

“As soon as I got here, they started to help me,” Leus said. 

“They’ve helped me with everything,” he added. 

The day Leus shared this account of his journey with The Haitian Times, he was among several dozen immigrants who rode up the elevators of the skyscraper housing Catholic Charities. The building looks like any other on the busy block near Wall Street, with its lobby and security officers at the reception desk. 

Some clients came directly from Haiti’s capital. Others came after surviving months of trials and tribulations, and the Darien Gap to reach the U.S.-Mexico border. Some came on their own, others with baby strollers or toddlers in tow. 

Each one, no matter their path, is looking essentially for one thing: Help to stay in America and, with that, end their immigration journeys. 

Cultural competence matters 

HRI stands out as a legal advice program for being “linguistically and culturally competent,” its leaders say. The staff’s ability to speak Creole – and decode Haitian proverbs – oftentimes makes all the difference to an immigration judge deciding a client’s fate. At a time when immigrants face complex, trauma-filled circumstances, social media and AI-powered disinformation, notarios preying on them and, now, the incoming Trump Administration’s pledge of mass deportations, HRI appears to be even more critical.

“We do solid work on behalf of people living here, [residents] who are contributing to the life and health of New York for all of us,” said Margaret Martin, co-director of the Immigrant and Refugee Services division that HRI falls under.

“The focus is always on if and how we can help someone get legal relief, whether that’s TPS, asylum or something else,” Martin added. 

Catholic Charities of New York first opened a legal services division in the late 1980s and has provided counsel to immigrants from all nations over the years, including the Spanish-speaking arrivals. Following the Del Rio border crisis in 2021, New York saw the number of Haitians rise in its influx of asylum seekers. To help, the city granted $1.6 million to a group of six community organizations, with Catholic Charities tapped among them to address the legal needs. 

HRI formed from that grant, providing direct assistance to about 200 Haitian families. Daily, it receives some 155 calls to its hotline, according to its site. Weekly, the program assists nearly 50 Haitian clients at the office, the organization said.

Ready to assist are the attorneys and staff of the HRI, most of them Haitian American.  

“When people come here, they’re so happy,” one attorney said. “They’re like, ‘Oh oh, ou pale Kreyol. Wap fèm gaspiye Anglè.’ Like ‘You speak Creole. I’m wasting my English.’”

“It really helps,” the attorney continued, “because we understand where they’re coming from and we are able to communicate that. Sometimes it’s not just that we have the educational skill, that cultural skill adds more color to [their] claims. That’s why I’m glad Catholic Charities makes sure that they have Haitian attorneys and we have Haitian paralegals.”

Different programs for different pathways  

Even as the influx of newcomers has slowed, the need remains because clients’ circumstances may change, requiring different immigration services or more expertise in certain areas. An asylum case, for example, may take 300 days to receive a decision. As of August, HRI’s attorneys were handling about 175 cases.

Which legal options to pursue depends on a person’s migration journey, the attorneys said. The reason someone left Haiti, where they have lived, the abuse or trauma they endured, whether they have a minor with them, whether their child has Chilean or Brazilian citizenship, Haitian custody laws, or how they traveled to or entered the U.S. are among the many factors that may apply. While programs such as TPS are well-known, other provisions are for uncommon scenarios – such as witnessing a crime, being a youth under a certain age.

“I hate telling people, ‘We can’t help you,’” one staffer said. “Here at Catholic Charities, that’s how we are, we are trying to see how we can help. That’s why sometimes, our consults may take longer than others. [When] they actually feel like, ‘Okay, I can trust this person, they are able to tell us what’s going on.”

Unfortunately, a host of unqualified people have invoked these programs to take money from desperate immigrants. Notarios, some content creators with no legal training, and even some clergy members lead immigrants astray by preying on these newcomers’ hopes.

The HRI team’s best advice: Consult an attorney.

Journey continues indefinitely

Leus knew he would need an attorney when he arrived. After a lawyer quoted $14,000 to pursue the asylum claim, money Leus didn’t have, someone sent him to the non–profits. By 2022, Leus received TPS and employment authorization allowing him to work legally. 

On that August day, Leus joined a few dozen Haitians in the offices. He was there with his daughter to renew some documents and to follow up on the asylum application. Both gregarious, father and daughter were dressed in their Sunday best — he in a black suit, red shirt and pocket square, she in a taffeta-filled peach and cream dress.

As of November, he was still waiting for word on the asylum case. Despite the election’s outcome and some anxiety, Leus said he is focused on work and his day-to-day life, just as his lawyers have recommended.

M.B., another client, knew he also needed an attorney when he arrived earlier this year. 

For most of his life, the 21-year-old simply wanted to finish his education and build a stable life free of the violence that forced his family to flee Delmas 66, a Port-au-Prince suburb, each time the gangs struck. A place where he could fulfill what he sees as his duty as a young, able-bodied man: to serve in the military. 

M.B., whom The Haitian Times is identifying by initials to protect his potential career choice, entered the U.S. legally through the humanitarian parole program in April 2024. When TPS became available to him in June, M.B.’s father brought him to the Catholic Charities offices in Lower Manhattan, where the older man had received legal counsel for his own case, to assist. 

“Here,” he said of the office, “they really welcome you. They make you feel comfortable, they explain everything to make sure you understand.”

Asked why he was there since he already had been granted TPS, M.B. answered with a slight smile and huff that sounded almost bashful. 

“I’d like to be even more legal,” he said. “At this point in time, I can’t be of service to Haiti. So I’m taking my chances here in the U.S.” 

For services, call the ActionNYC Hotline at 1-800-354-0365, Monday-Friday 9:00 am-6:00 pm and ask for the Haitian Response Initiative.

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