The Legal Aid Society, along with 19 other legal service providers, urged Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks in a letter sent Wednesday to halt its reopening process over COVID-19 safety risks. While court proceedings are currently being conducted virtually, a lack of information and clarity surrounding the next phase of the reopening plan have stoked concern among those who fear that social distancing and other preventative measures will be nearly impossible once in-person operations are resumed.

The letter also cites concerns over the impact of eviction cases will have on vulnerable New Yorkers while the city remains in a state of partial shutdown, as reported by Law360.

“We urge you to halt the reopening of the courts until you have developed a thorough safety plan for reopening, informed by health experts, legal advocates and other key stakeholders. Fundamentally, we believe that no New Yorker should be evicted, especially right now, while the city and state, their schools and other institutions, remain closed,” the groups, including the Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders, and New York Legal Assistance Group, wrote in the letter.