Psychologists In Immigration Courts: Expert Says ICE Detention Drives 50-90% Depression, Shapes Asylum Cases

A Fordham lecture by psychologist Barry Rosenfeld detailed how mental health professionals shape immigration court outcomes through trauma evaluations, competency assessments, and documentation for asylum, U-Visas, and VAWA. He contrasted immigration and criminal courts’ access to counsel and standards of proof, and cited research showing extremely high depression rates among detainees. The session flagged ethical issues like adversarial allegiance and confidentiality, including prior APA concerns over ICE access to unaccompanied minors’ psychotherapy notes. Special considerations for juveniles and people with disabilities were discussed, alongside the wide discretion judges hold in outcomes.