Language and cultural differences created major hurdles for asylum seekers navigating life in the U.S. While the ALAS project trained bilingual Spanish-speaking CHWs, not all asylum seekers spoke Spanish. Some only spoke Portuguese or Indigenous languages. This gap created communication issues that affected service delivery and added emotional strain for both CHWs and the people they served.

• Most services, whether in a clinic or legal office, were offered in English, without interpreters or translated documents. Many asylum seekers arrived in Arizona unfamiliar with how U.S. systems worked and unsure of their rights. LAAS were often left to navigate on their own, leading to confusion, mistrust, and sometimes complete withdrawal from seeking help.