A Jamaican man, who came to the U.S. to work on apple farms in West Virginia and citrus farms in Florida, has been detained for at least year and cannot get needed help because of language barrier and a severe stutter.
Migrant workers, who wish to obtain a visa for farm work, can employ a West Virginia immigration attorney to apply.
Cotterel was arrested after a wage dispute he had with a former employer who accused him of theft. He has been in the York, Pennsylvania detention center for a year.
Cotterel is seeking political asylum and his case has hit a snag because no one can understand him. He doesn’t read or write and he speaks Creole. Judges have attempted to listen to his asylum case by asking yes and no questions and utilizing fellow Jamaican inmates to translate. But the judge can’t be certain of the answers are his or the inmates.
Unlike people accused of criminal activity those, who are detained for illegal immigration, are not provided legal counsel. They are allowed to hire immigration lawyers, but many don’t have the money necessary.
Cotterel’s was denied asylum by a judge, and a York immigration lawyer has agreed to take help him with appeal on a pro bono basis. His attorney believes that Cotterel could be killed if returned to Jamaica.
Asylum cases are complicated, but a West Virginia immigration lawyer will work diligently on their client’s case and make it possible for them to obtain visas or achieve citizenship.
