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Drivers Wanted for Immigration Check-Ins, Hearings, and Attorney Appointments 

12/15/2022 03:02:23 PM

Dec15

by Dan Zimmerman

Since 2019, volunteers for the Dane Sanctuary Coalition have provided rides for many immigrants to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices in Milwaukee, Waukegan, IL, and Chicago, as well as the United States Immigration Court in Chicago. While there are 54 individuals currently on the email distribution list, some of them have never volunteered because they don’t want to drive in Chicago (well, no one does), some can’t be away from home/Dane County for a full day, some are snowbirds, etc. There have been a couple of times in which no one has volunteered to take an individual or a family to their scheduled appointment. So, we are always seeking additional volunteer drivers.

The scheduled appointments typically are for:

  • Collection of biometrics, which includes a photograph, fingerprinting, and completion of a form providing identifying information (e.g., color of eyes).
  • Security checks, which are generally done annually. For recently arrived immigrants, they may have an appointment to remove an ankle monitor once the immigrants have a permanent address.
  • Asylum interviews.
  • Court hearings to determine if the immigrant/family will be given a deportation order.

Between January 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022, we received 61 requests for rides from referring agencies and attorneys. Over half the requests have been during the last three months, following a pandemic lull. 

When an immigrant or family has a scheduled appointment with USCIS or Immigration Court, we email the distribution list seeking a volunteer driver for the specific ride. Volunteer drivers only commit to a specific ride based on their availability. The rides to Milwaukee or Waukegan and back generally are completed within four to six hours. The rides to Chicago and back are full-day events. Dane Sanctuary Coalition is able to provide a $25 reimbursement for rides to Milwaukee or Waukegan and a $65 plus parking reimbursement for rides to Chicago.

We recently expanded the mission of the volunteer program to include local rides. The Dane County Immigration Affairs Office is working with Christ Presbyterian Church (at the corner of E. Gorham Street, Brearly Street, and Sherman Avenue) to set up a free legal clinic for immigrants on the second and fourth Friday of each month. Some of the immigrants live in Dane County in areas without a viable public transportation option, such as Middleton, Sun Prairie, and Waunakee, so we have agreed to provide volunteer drivers to help meet this monthly need.

For persons interested in volunteering, we have a virtual training session to provide further explanation about the role and responsibilities of a volunteer driver, USCIS processes, and other information. If you are interested in being a volunteer driver and would like to attend the training, please email me at zimmerman_dan@hotmail.com or call me at 608-241-1158.
 

March 29, 2024 19 Adar II 5784