In this special report from The Laura Flanders Show, produced in partnership with the School of Labor and Urban Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY) (@cunyslu), dive into the harrowing journeys and hopes of migrants and unaccompanied minors seeking sanctuary in New York City. Join us as we go behind the headlines of the 2023 migrant crisis and explore the powerful stories of resilience and mutual aid between asylum seekers and New Yorkers.

🔹Learn about the sanctuary city status of NYC since 1989 and the number of migrants, mostly from Latin America, that came in 2023. As you’ll hear, living up to the promise of sanctuary is tougher than just passing a law.

🔹Understand the issues that refugees face in Latin America. Many are fleeing from extortion from gangs, robbery, rape and LGBTQ+ persecution. Soon after they arrive in the U.S., they experience trouble finding work, shelter, foster care placement, and legal battles.

🔹Watch as we follow Eswin, a young Guatemalan migrant who braved the perilous journey to the U.S. alone when he was 17. He is in New York City seeking asylum from violence and LGBTQ persecution back home.

🔹Hear from volunteers, lawyers, and organizations like Artists Athletes Activists and The Safe Passage Project, who are on the frontlines welcoming asylum seekers and connecting them with legal aid and support.

🔹Be moved by the story of Lady Mansilla: An Ecuadorian mother's journey through the Darien Gap with her husband and two children. Her husband was deported and her son was held in a detention center soon after they arrived in the U.S.

🔹Gain insights from Father James Kelly and Angela Fernández on the critical need for legal representation in immigration cases. In some cases, legal representation boosts an asylum seeker’s chance of winning their court case by 90%.

📌 This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in the intersection of immigration, law, and human rights. Stay until the end for Laura's closing commentary. What our world would look like today if we had offered one another sanctuary?

🎙Today’s Guests
Eswin: Asylum Seeker, Guatemala
Angela Fernández: Executive Director, Safe Passage Project
Terri Gerstein: Harvard Center for Labor & A Just Economy
Father James Kelly: Immigration Attorney, District 3 Immigration Services
Power Malu: Founder, Artists Athletes Activists
Lady Mansilla: Asylum Seeker, Ecuador
Jamie Powlovich: Executive Director, Coalition for Homeless Youth
Marie-Cassandre Wavre: Supervising Attorney, The Door

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📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP*: “Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas” by Roberto Lovato: https://bookshop.org/a/22992/97800629...
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Credits:
Executive Producer: Laura Flanders
Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel
Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor
Development Director: Sarah Miller
Senior Video Editor: David Neumann
Creative Designer & Video Editor: Nat Needham
Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper
Communications Director: Janet Hernandez
LF Show Fellow: Maryia Kanavalenka, Laila Riaz

01:45 - Migrants' Struggle, Detention Fatigue
05:14 - Migrants' Arrival, City Chaos
07:00 - Unaccompanied Minors & Foster Care
12:15 - The Story of a Migrant Mother
15:45 - Legal Aid & Challenges

The segment “Sanctuary City” is produced by The City University of New York (CUNY) School of Labor and Urban Studies in partnership with The Laura Flanders Show.