Asylum Seekers Paid $600 to a Queens Nonprofit — and Got Nothing

You arrived in New York, found a shelter in Queens, and someone told you about an organization that could help with your asylum application. You scraped together $300 in cash, handed it over — and then waited. And waited. No receipt. No update. No filed application. That is what Carmen Zurita, a 50-year-old Venezuelan woman who fled paramilitary violence, says happened to her at La Jornada, a nonprofit based in Corona, Queens.

Zurita is not alone. The outlet Documented interviewed five immigrants and reviewed five affidavits submitted to the New York State Attorney General's office. Those affidavits allege that clients paid La Jornada between $300 and $1,000 for asylum petitions and work permits (called EADs, or Employment Authorization Documents) — and received little or nothing in return. Two of the immigrants told Documented that La Jornada never filed their asylum applications at all. The state Attorney General's office confirmed it is looking into five complaints against the organization and said its Charities Bureau has contacted La Jornada twice for delinquent filings. New York State Rep. Catalina Cruz, a former attorney representing several Queens neighborhoods including Corona, told Documented her office has directly helped 15 constituents who had problems with La Jornada's services. Some of those clients now have deportation orders.

La Jornada founder Pedro Rodriguez told Documented he was unaware of dissatisfied clients and said he would fix problems if former clients gave him the chance. He said he never claimed to be a lawyer and that his organization employed between one and three attorneys at a time — though he acknowledged those lawyers could not have handled all cases, of which there were thousands. He said staff members had paralegal diplomas posted behind them. Following the 2025 passage of a New York City law called Intro-980A — which increased civil penalties for immigration service providers not following the rules and required them to clearly advertise what they can and cannot do — Rodriguez said La Jornada now displays signs stating that staff are not immigration lawyers. The organization originally started as a food pantry and career-development nonprofit in 2011, then shifted to helping asylum seekers with paperwork between 2022 and 2024, when roughly 237,000 asylum seekers arrived in New York City.

This case is part of a broader pattern. New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection recorded 23 complaints about immigration assistance providers in 2022, rising to 46 in 2024. The agency noted the real number is likely higher because many victims do not come forward. Attorneys who represent immigrants in court consistently warn that having a licensed lawyer dramatically reduces the risk of deportation — and that unaccredited helpers, however well-intentioned, cannot represent clients in immigration court.

What to do if you paid for immigration help and nothing was filed

• Check whether your asylum application was actually submitted. Go to the USCIS website (uscis.gov) or call 1-800-375-5283 and ask about the status of your case using your full name and date of birth. If you have an alien registration number (an A-number), have it ready.
• Get your documents back. You have the right to receive copies of any forms or paperwork related to your case. If an organization refuses to return your documents or demands extra money for them, that is illegal in New York.
• File a complaint. Report the organization to the New York State Attorney General's office (ag.ny.gov) and to the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (nyc.gov/dcwp). You can do this even if you are undocumented.
• Find free or low-cost legal help. Contact a nonprofit legal provider in your area. In Queens, organizations like the Jackson Heights Immigrant Center offer free or very low-cost help. The city's Asylum Application Help Center can also connect you with accredited legal services.

A full breakdown of this topic — in our guide “Preparing for Your Asylum Interview”.