Since President Donald Trump signed executive orders targeting immigration earlier this year, in-person attendance at the weekly meetings hosted by Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid has dwindled. Once having to cap sessions at 100 people, the New York City-based organization forced to find ways to squeeze in a few more and ask others to come back the next week, co-founder and director Hector Arguinzones said attendance has dropped by more than half: now he never has more than 40 or 50 people show up.
Many of the participants in the VIA's programs are Latin American immigrants with pending asylum claims or a temporary legal status, as well as some who entered using the now-defunct CBP One app and are awaiting an immigration interview. Though they've followed the rules to gain entry to the country, the escalation in enforcement actions under Trump has made them worried that their future in the United States is far more at risk than before, Arguinzones told Salon.
