Stateless individuals who have had their immigration court cases terminated or who have not yet been detected by immigration authorities have no basis to apply for work authorization. Because they have no lawful immigration status, they are not eligible for any state, local, or federal benefits. These individuals remain unable to work lawfully and many live in poverty and must work in the underground market for their mere survival. Without Work There Is No Shelter Roc K. is an orphan who came to the United States from France as a teenager. He has no proof of his birth in France and despite repeated efforts—on his own and with the assistance of counsel—has not been able to obtain any documentation from French authorities confirming whether he is or is not a citizen of France. Being an orphan, he has no independent means to assert or establish citizenship in France or elsewhere. He married a U.S. citizen and sought to become a lawful permanent resident but his petition was denied because he could not establish his identity or French nationality. He was put in immigration proceedings, ordered removed, and placed under an order of supervision for several years until an immigration judge finally recognized that the United States would never be able to deport him and closed his case. Although the restrictions he was subject to under the order of supervision have ended, his situation has worsened considerably. Because he is no longer under a supervision order, he has no basis to qualify for employment authorization. Unable to work lawfully, Roc is now homeless and living in a shelter. prohibit travel beyond a certain distance such as outside of the state where the stateless person resides. Generally, they also provide that the individual may request authorization to leave the area. This permission is discretionary and, in addition to the frustration of knowing that one must obtain permission to travel for the rest of one’s life, these travel restrictions may interfere with the success of their business or work life. Without a nationality, stateless individuals in the United States cannot obtain passports or other international travel documents. Even those individuals who are under an order of supervision do not have any means to travel – or return from – abroad. This means they are permanently separated from loved ones. Many stateless individuals express a great sense of sadness and loss at the thought of never being able to see their parents, siblings, or children again or to attend funerals, weddings, or births of loved ones. If I Could Only See My Loved Ones Again Tatianna L.124 has not seen her oldest son, Danil, since she escaped the former Soviet Union with her younger son David, almost 20 years ago. While Tatianna does not regret her decision to save David from what she believes was certain danger, had she ever imagined she would be forever separated from Danil, she would have found a way to take him with her, too. Because she is stateless and, as a result, has no travel documents, she has been unable to see Danil, who remains in Russia, since the end of 1993. Under her order of supervision, not only is she unable to leave the country, she is also prevented from traveling within the United States for longer than two days without first notifying ICE of her proposed travel plans. Travel Restrictions and Lack of Family Unity All orders of supervision include some type of travel restriction. Most commonly, they Solutions for the Stateless in the U.S. 27