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They fled violence and poverty. Now, in Florida, asylum seekers face an endless wait

September 19, 2024 (1 min read)

Nancy Guan, WUSF, Sept. 19, 2024

"Maria and her family arrived in the U.S. in December of 2021 — the tail end of a year where encounters at the southern border reached record highs. Many of them, like her, fled a mix of violence, poverty and political instability, risking their lives to come to the U.S. to apply for asylum. The protection allows them to stay in the country and opens up a pathway to citizenship. But a large number of asylum seekers may not receive it or at least wait years not knowing what the outcome will be. Over a million individuals are waiting for their day in immigration court, stuck in a historic backlog. But that uncertainty, at least, comes with hope – something Maria didn’t have in Venezuela."

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