At our December clinic in Falls Church, we had a client, Eve, scheduled from the Congo. When Eve arrived at our office that evening, she did not come alone. Trailing behind her were her children.... all eight of them, ages 2-12! Although Eve's appointment could easily have been a chaotic nightmare, it instead became a moving experience for the volunteers involved.
Since our small lobby was already crowded with other clients, we scrambled to figure out how to accomodate Eve and her family with minimal disruption. We settled on conducting her interview in our conference room and brought in board games and books for the children.
Two Just Neighbors volunteers interviewed Eve in the crowded room. We suspected that one of the men, a patent attorney in DC and first-time volunteer with us, did not ordinarily encounter these situations in his day job. However, the volunteer soldiered through the interview diligently, even when Eve began nursing her youngest while answering the questions.
Eve, a United States citizen, wanted to petition to bring her mother here from the Congo. Eve's husband had left her and she was understandably struggling to work while mothering her eight young children. It was easy to recognize the impact Eve's mother could have on this household as another caretaker.
Although her citizenship status granted Eve the legal right to petition her mother, Eve needed to demonstrate to Immigration that she had sufficient income to provide for her mother upon arrival. Since Eve did not meet this income criteria, we informed her that she would need to find a friend or relative who could co-sign the application and agree to help the grandmother financially if necessary.
Eve was not aware of this possibility. She left the appointment hopeful that her aunt would be willing to co-sign for the application. We told Eve to contact us once she had someone who could assist her and are still anxiously awaiting her call.
In the meantime, the first-time volunteer who worked with Eve that evening emailed us the day after the appointment. Moved by Eve's family situation, he wanted to know if he could somehow contact Eve and inquire about providing holiday gifts to her children, as she could surely not afford to give them much. We asked Eve and she was delighted.
Although Just Neighbors' primary focus will always be its immigration legal services, the meaningful interactions between members of the community that would otherwise not meet is a cornerstone of our work. Even though Eve and the volunteer were unable to connect, Eve was touched when we told her this man whom she had just met wanted to purchase gifts for her children.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 2008
During this holiday season of gift-giving, I remember a client family- the Wang family- whose delivery of gifts to our staff last month touched us all.
Mr. Wang had been a highly respected economist in his home country in Asia. However, the government disapproved of his work and teachings, and he began to fear for the safety of himself and his family. They fled to the United States on temporary visas and then sought asylum, citing their fear of persecution should they be forced to return home.
U.S. Immigration granted the family asylum, and Mr. Wang, his wife, and their two children in high school began their life anew here. Both parents took on low-paying jobs. Mr. Wang worked long hours at a local department store, a far cry from his former career as a leading economist. After one year in the United States, they came to Just Neighbors for assistance in applying for their lawful permanent residence. Our attorney Linda Johnson met with them and helped them with the application process. Over the next several months they awaited their green cards, which would get them on the path toward citizenship and allow them to become more fully a part of this country.
At the end of November, we received a phone call from Mr. Wang’s 17 year old daughter, who spoke better English than her parents. The entire family had received their green cards and wanted to come to the office to thank the staff in person. The next morning, the four members of the Wang family arrived at our office, beaming with pride. The two children were especially happy since they got to skip school for the occasion. They delivered gifts to the staff they had bought with the little spending money they had, and each of them took turns thanking us and expressing their appreciation. We were moved by their generosity and together celebrated that the family’s future is now full of new hope and possibilities.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 2008
This was a big month for our clients who have become citizens because many were able to vote for the first time. Several clients called or emailed to let us know their excitement.
“I am extremely happy, after 12 years waiting I became a US Citizen!!!!!!!
Please let me know which Saturday you will be at Floris Ministry, I have too come and Thank You.”
“YOU WAS RIGHT... 
WE ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY MY SISTER GOT HER OATH CEREMONY TODAY... EVERYBODY IN THE FAMILY IS HAPPY.
WE WILL SEE YOU SOME DAY SOON TO THANK YOU AND ALL STAFF FOR THE GREAT HELP FOR REFUGEES.”
Our attorney had assisted a client with his naturalization interviews in September. The blind client passed the civics test with flying colors. The first question the interviewer asked was, “Who elects the President of the United States?” The client’s prompt response was “the electoral college.” He answered ten out of ten questions correctly, although answering six correctly is a passing score. His spoken English was fine, but the writing and reading of English were rather problematic. Although we had a medical certification of disability signed by a physician that stated that the client is legally blind, the interviewer pushed the issue. In the end, the interviewer read a short sentence aloud and the client laborious wrote it, in very large letters, and passed the test on his own, without the medical waiver being used.
The client happened to be in our new waiting room in mid-November, wanting to file petitions for his children to join him here. When the attorney saw him, she exclaimed in greeting, “Congratulations! Did you vote?”
He nodded his head eagerly, and answered, “of course!”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 2008
Our Tuesday evening community clinic in Falls Church this month is a microcosm of the work of Just Neighbors. The volunteers fell into three general groups: those from St. Mark Catholic Church (the church had generously provided funds to sponsor this clinic); those from Morrison & Foerster law firm (a steadfast provider of attorneys at both Falls Church and Herndon clinics); and returning, regular volunteers.
The clients, the very reason for hosting a clinic, came from around the world: Argentina, Bolivia, Central Africa Republic, Eritrea, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Sudan.
The husband of our client from Argentina was convicted in criminal court of domestic assault; we continue to explore whether she is eligible for U-visa relief, which would enable her to work in the U.S.
The Bolivian husband and wife had green cards denied several years ago due to an attorney’s error; we told them their only option is to start the process over again from the very beginning, which they have proceeded to do.
One asylee returned from the September clinic to continue with applications for green cards for his wife and their four children. (For those who read last month’s client story, he is the man who had endured the “blue pen” fiasco).
The client from Eritrea is now a United States citizen; we are helping her apply for her parents to join her here, where they can finally get to know their grandchildren.
Our Indonesian client is also now a United States citizen; she is seeking to have her adult daughters live in the United States lawfully. After reviewing her situation thoroughly, we explained that unfortunately this was not possible because her daughters are not considered “immediate relatives” and therefore, unable to adjust status to lawful permanent residents while living in the U.S.
The Pakistani, an asylee, has been waiting for eight years for his green card; he came over fifty miles to us from Fredericksburg hoping that we could bring his long wait to an end. After interviewing him thoroughly, we told him that we would find out from Immigration whether we could get a decision promptly about his application.
Finally, our client from Sudan entered the United States as a derivative of his mother’s asylum application; we are helping him apply for a green card and we are helping him obtain original documentation that he does have asylum status.
These snippets offer a brief view of the broad range of issues we address on a daily basis, as well as a taste of the lasting impact of the work of Just Neighbors for our clients and their families. We are appreciative of St. Mark’s support, which will enable us to continue working with these clients in the weeks ahead.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 2008
Eddie arrived a half hour early for his appointment at Just Neighbors’ clinic last Tuesday night in Falls Church. When we sat down and I began to ask him some basic questions before he was to meet with our volunteers, he eagerly pulled out photos of his family back in the Central African Republic. (Eddie is our first client from this country!) The photos showed his brother, who had recently been in a car accident, surrounded by his brother’s eight children in a worn-down hospital room. Eddie also noted that his sister had AIDS and recently passed away. Eddie had been an economist back in his home country and was working here as a security guard, hoping to work his way up into academia over time. Despite the setbacks and tragedies in his life, Eddie was upbeat and was optimistic that we could help him.
Eddie received asylum for his family when he came to the United States because he had been persecuted in his homeland. Two volunteer attorneys met with Eddie during his appointment and learned he had come to Just Neighbors because he had been applying for his green card. However, Immigration had rejected one of his forms for the third time, and he had come to Just Neighbors for help. Each rejection read “You must submit a properly completed Form G-325A, Biographic Information Sheet, for yourself. Your original signature is required on the Form G-325A. Photocopied signatures are not acceptable. Blank immigration forms and information are available online . . . .” The volunteers carefully reviewed the forms that Eddie had submitted; everything was complete. The denials by Immigration were a mystery, as Eddie seemed to have filled out the applications properly.
When Just Neighbors attorney Allison came into the room, she looked at the Form G-325A that the client had completed now for the fourth time and asked, “Did you sign the other forms with blue ink?” He replied, “No, just this one. The others I signed with black ink.” Allison said, “This form will be fine; Immigration just doesn’t like signatures in black ink.” The two volunteer attorneys looked at each other, dumbfounded. One said, “Blue ink? I never would have figured that out.” The other said, “Neither would I. Does it say on the instruction form to sign in blue ink?” Of course not. Allison explained that this was one of the frustrating points of working with Immigration. Just Neighbors had several rejections of the G-325As before catching on; we now buy only blue pens (really!) and sign all forms in blue ink.
Eddie’s Fourth Form has been sent to Immigration and all should go well. He is already scheduled for our October clinic, when we will help with the applications for his wife and four children. With a filing fee of $1,010 for the wife’s application and $600 for each of the children, we will be assisting him in completing fee waivers as well – signed in blue ink!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 2008
During a Just Neighbors clinic several years ago, four immigration attorneys sat around with open treatises before them; they were trying to determine what could be done to help the client down the hall. Finally they all agreed that they could not figure it out that night, and the main volunteer attorney told the client, through a translator, that we would be back in touch with her.
The client did have a complicated case. The man was a refugee from Ethiopia; he had his green card already. He had tried to bring his son “Mohamed” as a refugee as well, but the process seemed to be dragging. In the meantime, he married a United States citizen. The wife wanted to do all that she could to help, so she petitioned for Mohamed– now her step-son. When Mohamed, a teenager, entered the United States, he was given a “conditional green card” – it was conditioned on the marriage between the parents lasting two years. (This “condition” on marriages is designed to help prevent sham marriages and marriage fraud.) The marriage did not last two years.
Just Neighbors attorney Allison Rutland Soulen finally came up with a plan of action, and we filed an application to remove the conditions on the green card. That was two years ago. In the meantime, Mohamed studied hard. He started his high school career with C’s and B’s, but maintained straight A’s his final two years. He received a scholarship to the The College of William & Mary -- but the university wanted more than a now-expired conditional green card to show his proper immigration status.
The client had an interview with the local Immigration office in June. During the interview, Allison explained the college situation to the interviewing officer. The officer was friendly and said she understood, but she also indicated that she believed that Allison had checked the wrong boxes on the application form. She said she needed to check with her supervisors.
Allison was worried that the process would have to be started all over again, and this summer seemed to slip away with no word from Immigration. When the client’s father called Allison during the second week of August, Allison answered the phone reluctantly: Allison had no news to convey. But the father had good news! He exclaimed that the interviewing officer had just telephoned to say that the green card would be approved! The officer had indeed remembered the college plans and wanted the client to know as soon as possible.
Mohamed left for Williamsburg on Saturday. We wish him all the best, and know that he will have the opportunities to achieve much with the great talents he possesses.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 2008
Jack, who had been homeless for many years and living on the streets, came to Just Neighbors in May 2008. Jack was struggling to put the pieces of his life back together, and with the help of various local non profit organizations, attempting to find a job. Unfortunately, while homeless, Jack lost all forms of identification, including proof of his U.S. citizenship, which he needed to gain employment.
Jack told us the story of how he had been born an Italian citizen in the early sixties but was adopted at 8 months by an American. Jack then moved to the U.S. with his adoptive family and became a U.S. citizen at age 8. Even though Jack had no documentation of his identity, he remembered a lot of important details from his childhood. Unfortunately, Jack’s adoptive parents had passed away, and a family member could only find a few documents, none of which would be sufficient to convince Immigration of Jack’s U.S. citizenship.
Lauren Keenan, a Just Neighbors intern who met with Jack, attended an Immigration appointment in the hopes of confirming Jack’s U.S. citizenship. When she gave the officer Jack’s personal information they said they could not locate him in the system. Lauren was disappointed to be leaving empty handed, as without the assistance of Immigration, the process of confirming Jack’s status as a U.S. citizen would likely take as long as twenty-four months. Without proof of citizenship, Jack had very little chance of getting identification or a job.
In the wake of this setback Lauren and staff attorney Linda Johnson sought to enlist the help of our pro bono partner, the law firm of Foley and Lardner. Lauren and Linda prepared an extensive list of agencies that might offer evidence of Jack’s citizenship and planned to request that their legal team explore every avenue. Lauren met with Jack a second time to update him on the status of his case. We hoped the news would not make Jack feel too discouraged, and that his search for employment and struggle to remain off the streets would not be derailed.
While Lauren met with Jack, our other legal intern, Becca Freeman, was at an Infopass appointment at Immigration. She had scheduled the appointment to gather information about several other Just Neighbors clients but took the opportunity to ask immigration one more time about Jack’s case. We knew the answer they had given us before, but thought, “why not?”
This time the result was favorable, and Becca was able to find out Jack’s Alien Number and confirm his U.S. citizenship. Becca came back to Just Neighbors just as Jack and Lauren were discussing his case and Becca delivered the happy news. Jack wasn’t surprised; she had only confirmed what he already knew, that he was in fact a legal citizen of the United States. Lauren and Linda were ecstatic because this meant that the ultimate outcome would be a positive one for Jack and much faster. Armed with this new information Just Neighbors was able to file with Immigration for a replacement certificate of citizenship on behalf of Jack, and this request is currently being processed.
With proof of his citizenship Jack will be able to continue on the road to recovery and secure employment. Most importantly, working will give Jack a way off of the streets permanently. His story is proof that a little persistence and teamwork can really make a big difference in a client’s life.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 2008
Imagine living in the U.S. with your young daughter, who, to your knowledge, has no legal documentation in this country. You are here lawfully and can work and provide for her, and your daughter can attend public school, but what about her future here and her prospects for college? Would you return to your home country of the Dominican Republic, knowing that you might not get a good job and your daughter’s education would suffer, but at least she wouldn’t have to live in fear due to her immigration status?
Then imagine the mix of relief and anger you would feel to learn that your daughter had a legal status all along, that her green card had come in the mail years ago but your abusive husband had returned it to Immigration to maintain his control over the family.
This is the roller coaster that Carmen has lived over the past five years. She came into the U.S. in 2000 on a fiancé visa from the Dominican Republic along with her three year old daughter to live with her husband. Both mother and daughter received conditional, two-year green cards in 2002. In 2004, Carmen received her permanent green card, though her husband told her he never applied for the daughter, even though he actually had.
Thinking her seven year old daughter was out of status, Carmen felt trapped and was fearful of calling the police to report her husband’s escalating abuse, worried it would jeopardize her daughter’s life in this country. Finally pushed to the brink, Carmen came to Just Neighbors at our June clinic to learn her options for herself and her daughter. Our attorney Linda offered to go to the local Immigration office the next day and, using our address and contact information, inquired about the daughter’s status with no information other than the girl’s name and birth date. To Linda’s surprise and elation, the girl had been a legal permanent resident since 2004, even though her green card, returned to Immigration by the husband, had long since been destroyed.
This week Carmen returns to our office so we can file for a replacement green card for her daughter. The additional good news is that Carmen has been a lawful permanent resident long enough to naturalize, and if she does so before her daughter turns 18, the daughter will automatically become a U.S. citizen as well. The two are on a path toward independence and security in this country.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 2008
This week a client sent Just Neighbors a colorful card with a grinning cat on the front. The card read:
“05/21/08 THANK YOU!!! Dear Allison. Dear Karen. I can’t tell you how much I was delighted when I receive your GOOD NEWS letter. I am sure, had it been not with your help I wouldn’t have been able to get that invoice cancelled. I would like to use this opportunity to express my heart felt appreciation! God bless you, Your family, and Your organization.”
Mr. Gaut, from Ethiopia, had called Just Neighbors in early April. He had received asylum the year before because he was persecuted in his homeland. He petitioned to bring his wife and three children to join him in the United States. But instead of using the form for this purpose that is free to asylees, he used a different form that had a fee and that also would mean a much longer wait for his family (at least five years longer). When he realized his mistake, he called Immigration and asked how to withdraw the application. He also asked if he could stop payment on the check. He was told to write a letter to withdraw the application and to stop payment on his check. Mr. Gaut called Just Neighbors because Immigration was later insisting that he pay $385, a hefty fee for someone earning less than $20,000 per year and supporting his wife and three children abroad.
The attorneys at Just Neighbors reviewed the information, but did not have the time to take on the case. But Karen, Just Neighbors’ Volunteer of the Month in April, agreed to meet with the client and write a letter of explanation to Immigration. Solely because of our reliable volunteers, Just Neighbors was able to help someone who otherwise we would have had to turn away.
By April 25th, we had a letter from Immigration saying “The invoice has been cancelled. You are no longer responsible for this debt.” We wrote “Good News!” on a post-it note and placed it on the letter to mail to Mr. Gaut. He is correct; he probably could not have been able to get that invoice cancelled without the help of Just Neighbors. And the help of Just Neighbors is not possible without the countless hours that volunteers give so generously.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 2008
Over sixty percent of Just Neighbors’ clients are women, and they are usually mothers. These mothers deal with the usual issues associated with poverty: housing, feeding their families, health care, transportation. Because they have left their homelands, they often have an added dimension of hardship: separation from their children. We do our best to help these splintered families get back together.
Just Neighbors has had the pleasant task in recent months to be the bearer of good news to some of our clients who are mothers. Just Neighbors has been helping victims of domestic abuse secure temporary status in the United States with a “U visa”. To be eligible for the immigration benefit, these women must have cooperated with law enforcement officials in the arrest or prosecution of their abuser. For our typical client, the abuser is her husband or the father of her children. Immigration recently issued “final” rules that apply to these women. The final rules offer these women a more permanent status. This stability means they can bring the minor children that they left behind to join them in the United States.
Ten years ago, one of our clients, “Maria”, left her nine-year old boy with her mother. She hoped that her son would join her in a few years, but that was not possible. Maria has kept in steady contact with her child, has sent him money to support him and pay for his school, and even managed to visit him once. Meanwhile, Maria was living with someone who abused her. Maria broke out of the abuse and testified to convict her abuser. Now, Maria’s son has been fingerprinted by the U.S. Embassy, which is a sign to us that the application is on track and he should join his mother within a few months.
Another client, “Mirna”, left her children in the care of her sister four years ago; the youngest was 18 months old. Mirna left because she had no way to support her children and believed that it was possible to work in the United States and have them join her here. After she arrived, she learned that her hopes for a new life were unfounded. In addition, the man she fell in love with became abusive and trapped her in their “home.” Mirna, a vivacious woman, was determined to survive. She escaped from the abusive life and now her children, too, have received appointments for fingerprints at their U.S. Embassy. Mirna focuses on the good, and can scarcely believe that she will soon see her “babies”.
Many other clients have similarly benefited from the stability this new law gives them. They no longer face the question: “What will I do if I am deported: will I take my U. S. citizen children with me or will I leave them behind?” Instead, these women will one day join our list of clients receiving green cards!
We are always buoyed when we receive approval notices for any client; we walk on clouds when the approval notice is for a mother, because we know that the family here will stay united and because we know that children abroad can now lawfully join their mothers!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2008
Just Neighbors takes in stride that not all of its clients are equally able to assist with their own cases. Mr. D, a refugee from East Africa, is homeless. Before coming to the United States, he spent seven years in prison, we think because of his ethnicity. He now feels safe in the United States but desperately wants an ID card because the police sometimes approach him on the streets. In assisting him with a green card application that will serve as his ID, Just Neighbors has forged a relationship with Mr D.
Mr. D first came to Just Neighbors in September 2007. Due to language barriers and some mental disabilities, we had difficulty understanding him. For example, the paper he carries stamped with his entry date is worn and the last digit of the year he entered is illegible; yet Mr. D cannot clearly communicate whether he arrived in the United States in 2003 or 2005. You can imagine the challenge it has been to try to complete Immigration forms for Mr. D, which ask for information such as his parents’ names and places of birth!
Another hurdle in his Immigration applications was the requirement of a vaccination record. A Just Neighbors’ attorney drove this client to a private physician for his immunizations. The client was visibly nervous, but afterwards his relief was palpable. When we assured him that the immunizations were the last step in his application, he was overjoyed.
Just Neighbors also played the role of a trusted intermediary for Mr. D. A relative of Mr. D visited their homeland last year. The relative returned with a photo of Mr. D’s mother and a letter from her to her son, from whom she has not heard in ten years. The relative gave the letter and photo to us to give to Mr. D. Mr. D’s eyes teared when he saw the image of his mother; we gave him paper to write her back right then (we have mothers on staff!) and we took photos of him to send to her as well. We are keeping his mother’s photo in our files – it is a safe place for it.
Mr. D recently returned to Just Neighbors with a gift: he carefully extracted a carton of eggs from the backpack in which he carries all his possessions. “This is for you,” he said with great pride in his eyes, and then he explained that he has no way to cook the eggs!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 2008
For this month’s client story we’d like to share a snapshot of our Arlington Clinic on February 19th. The clinic illustrated the diversity of clients and volunteers who come together, as well as the variety of cases we see.
At the clinic, eleven volunteers-- including four volunteer attorneys-- met with nine new clients. Six clients were from Africa, one from Central America, and two from South America. Three scheduled clients did not keep their appointments, but would have widened countries represented to include Vietnam, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. (Clients are often hindered by work schedules, transportation, and weather conditions from keeping their confirmed appointments.)
Among the situations were the following:
· One volunteer assisted two refugees from Ethiopia, a brother and a sister, with paperwork needed for their green cards and for obtaining a Virginia ID.
· Two new volunteers helped a United States citizen wife complete forms to help her husband receive employment authorization and a green card.
· Two other volunteers helped a naturalized U.S. citizen with papers that would bring his wife and children to join him here.
· One client, from Ghana, applied for immigration benefits in the early 1990s; we are trying to figure out what is going on in his case.
· Volunteers assisting one client gathered information sufficient to alert the Just Neighbors staff attorney that we could help the client after all. The client is a refugee and has filed the proper documents for her husband to join her. But the U.S. embassy that is supposed to give the husband a visa is apparently confused and keeps referring the couple elsewhere. Just Neighbors is helping the embassy to understand the situation.
· Just Neighbors previously helped a disabled refugee apply for a green card. Despite many phone calls, the client had not found assistance obtaining a new prosthetic leg. So, he met with one of our volunteers who had written a manual for refugees with disabilities.
For those clients that we were not able to put on a path to immigration benefits, we explained why not. We hope that our information will help them avoid the lure of unscrupulous immigration practitioners – those who sell false hope to a vulnerable population.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 2008
“I have your mother’s green card,” I told our client this morning, “when would you like to pick it up?” “RIGHT NOW!” Betel replied joyously. This is no ordinary green card. This is a green card that has been ten years in coming, even though it should have taken no more than one or two years.
Betel, who works as a laundry attendant, came to the United States as a refugee in 1981. She earned U.S. citizenship, and filed a family petition in 1998 so that her mother could join her here. Betel believed that her mother was in Eritrea at the time, but in fact, the mother was being held in a camp by the Ethiopian government due to the ongoing conflict in that region. The conflict obstructed communication between family members, so Betel was never certain of her mother’s whereabouts. Similarly, the mother never knew of the petition Betel filed on her behalf. By the time the approved petition reached the U.S. embassy in Ethiopia, the mother had made her way back to Eritrea. The petition never reached the mother and was closed.
In 2002, Betel’s mother managed to come to the United States using a tourist visa. Betel filed another application with Immigration in 2002, to try once again to help her mother stay in safety with her family in the United States. Betel and her mother had an interview with Immigration in 2004. Unable to understand the delay in having her mother’s green card approved, Betel eventually sought help from Just Neighbors. For almost three years, Immigration told Just Neighbors that the case was on track, but stalled by the FBI doing background checks on the 73 year old mother. In June 2007, a sympathetic Immigration officer agreed to submit another request to the FBI; that new request was quickly approved and Immigration resumed processing the application.
Betel has been anxious to obtain documents that show that her mother is in the United States lawfully; since the mother’s tourist visa expired in 2002, she has been an “illegal alien.” Life in the United States has been tolerable for the mother only because her daughters are here and there is no one at “home” in Eritrea. Walking is painful for her, and she speaks not a word of English. She yearns to visit her older sister, who lives in California, but has been afraid to travel without papers. Today Betel is requesting time off so that she can escort her mother around their neighborhood now that the mother feels safe, and they are looking into flights to California.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 2007
At a recent community clinic in our Arlington office, a woman from Syria, Arial, arrived late with her young boy. A woman from a local church had given Arial a ride and also looked after the boy during the appointment.
It turned out that the son’s father had naturalized and become a United States citizen. In this particular case, since the son had a green card and his father is a citizen, the boy automatically had citizenship. However, Arial did not know how to demonstrate this to government agencies so that the boy could access public benefits such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Arial was a smart, spirited woman, and we were impressed with her determination to do whatever she could to help her son. As the boy played with toys and stuffed animals in our main office, our attorneys Linda and Allison drafted a letter for Arial to bring to the public benefits office stating why the boy is a U.S. citizen eligible for benefits. We are continuing to work on getting documentation so that Betel will not have to rely on a letter from Just Neighbors to get assistance for her son.
As Arial, her son, and their ride left our office at 10pm, we were glad that the family had found us and that they had found a generous friend from a church to help them during this difficult time.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
November 2007
Siti, a refugee from Sierra Leone, came to Just Neighbors for help in applying for his green card. He already had legal status in the U.S., but a green card has many advantages including enabling him to eventually apply for citizenship. When our staff attorney Linda Johnson met with Siti, she learned that he had been told by various Virginia DMV offices that he could not obtain a driver’s license even though he was eligible. Driving without a license is a criminal offense so having a license is important for immigrants.
Fortunately for Siti, Linda had experience with this issue. In July, staff of Just Neighbors met with the Commissioner of the DMV for Virginia to address problems some clients had in obtaining driver’s licenses. For example, some clients with asylee status had been advised by DMV staff to go to their embassy to renew their Passport. It can be detrimental for asylees to contact their embassy as their status in the U.S. is grounded upon their fear of their home country. The Commissioner was very responsive to our concerns and suggested a larger meeting with service providers in Northern Virginia and DMV leaders.
In September, Just Neighbors organized the meeting with Tahirih Justice Center, Boat People SOS, Center for Multicultural Human Services, Hogar Hispano, Legal Services of Northern Virginia and others to explain to DMV officials the various difficulties some of our immigrant clients have had in obtaining licenses. The discussion was productive, and DMV staff were receptive to reconciling issues that our clients have.
In the past several months, clients like Siti have been able to get their driver’s license thanks to our new relationship with the DMV. Our long-term goal, however, is for all eligible immigrants—including those without attorneys to advocate on their behalf—to be able to attain their driver’s licenses. We continue to collaborate with the DMV and work through challenges to make this possible.
Thanks to Linda, Siti now has his driver’s license and can reliably get to work. And, his green card application has been submitted to Immigration.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
October 2007
Sue came to Just Neighbors in November 2006 in a desperate state. She had entered into an arranged marriage in her home country of Indonesia the year before. She had then come to the United States with her husband, who was from the U.S., on a conditional green card. This means that as long as the couple could demonstrate to Immigration that the marriage was legitimate, she could eventually receive a permanent green card. Sue was nervously excited about coming to the United States with her husband; she held high hopes for their lives together. However, three months after her arrival here, Sue’s husband began to abuse her. The majority of the abuse was psychological and verbal, which made her case harder to prove to Immigration.
When Sue came to Just Neighbors, she had already been forced out of the house and had lived in various shelters before getting an apartment. She was in the process of a divorce, but was fearful that her husband would report her to Immigration and she would become out of status here. Moreover, Sue was becoming ostracized by the Indonesian community both here and in her home country. Since there were no physical signs of her husband’s abuse, Sue’s family and fellow countrymen expected her to stay in her marriage. In the months that followed, we helped her find a counselor and family law attorney. Sue began to regain some of the self-confidence she had had before her marriage.
Sue’s case was difficult for several reasons. We needed to get a written testimony from a psychiatrist and also needed to translate her own personal testimony into English. We coordinated with several other providers before submitting her application. In a seven month period our staff attorneys Pallavi and Linda logged 51 case notes in the database updating her case as it progressed.
Two weeks ago Sue’s green card finally arrived in the mail! This will allow her to live and work in the U.S. without any ties to her husband. She can also visit her family back home freely, and she already has a ticket to fly home to see them. Sue brought in roses, flowers, and a cake to her attorneys here as an expression of gratitude.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
September 2007
“That’s twenty dollars too much,” I told Jose as he handed me $70 for his appointment with Just Neighbors to renew his Temporary Protected Status.“I know,” replied Jose. “But I want to donate $20 to help someone who can’t afford the fee.” I was touched, considering Jose himself was low-income and he supported his family back in El Salvador.
Just Neighbors has helped Jose renew his TPS for several years, enabling him to continue to have lawful status and authorization to work in the United States. This work authorization is significant for Jose because it allows him to maintain his job as a Maintenance Supervisor at an elementary school in Fairfax County.
Several years ago Jose left his wife and his three young children to come here for work, as there were no jobs and no way to provide for his family in El Salvador. He says his country was ravaged with civil war and people were dying. Later, a major earthquake hit El Salvador, destroying his mother’s home and killing his uncle. The destruction caused by this earthquake prompted the United States to grant Temporary Protected Status to Salvadorans like Jose who had come here without documents. Jose could now gain lawful employment in the United States and begin sending more money home.
Three years ago, one of Jose’s sons came into the United States without documents to live with Jose, and to attend school here and work. The son, 18, works part-time to send money back to his mother and siblings while attending high school.
I asked Jose what it’s like to live in the United States with a temporary status, each year not knowing whether he can renew his status. He says that he would like to be able to continue living and working here, but if Immigration doesn’t allow it, he will probably go back. “It’s not in my control,” he says. At one point Jose was hopeful of gaining a more permanent status in the U.S. through a restaurant that employed him. He says the Department of Labor had even approved his employer visa. However, the restaurant went out of business, and he reverted to his tenuous TPS status.
Jose’s two children in El Salvador are now much older, and he hasn’t seen them or his wife in years. He takes this family separation in stride, trying to remain positive and realizing he’s better off than many immigrants who come here in search of work. Many separated families are not eligible for TPS, of course—they may need the $20 more than Jose.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
August 2007
“You have been so good to me. I love you!” These words were written by a client, Alma*, to her attorney, Pallavi, at Just Neighbors the day after Alma received her green card this past June.
Alma came to the United States from Ethiopia in 2005 and married a United States citizen. Soon after the marriage, domestic violence set in. (Some statistics show that 60% of immigrant women in the United States experience physical or sexual abuse). Alma fled to a shelter and sought help from the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) in Arlington. ECDC referred Alma to Just Neighbors, knowing she might be eligible to receive her green card through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Alma came to Just Neighbors in November 2005, and we met with her extensively throughout the next 18 months. Pallavi spent countless hours working on her case so that she would be able to gain permanent residency in the United States without dependence on her abuser.
The day Alma’s green card arrived was very special. “It made me so happy because if I didn’t have that paperwork, I couldn’t do anything,” says Alma. “It makes me feel comfortable.”
Now Alma is attending a cosmetology school so that she can work at a beauty salon in the U.S. She talks to her parents, brother, and sister back in Ethiopia every two weeks on the phone. However, she does not plan to return to Ethiopia to live because she says the culture is such that she would be looked down upon for her divorce, even though she was in a situation of domestic violence. But she hopes to visit her family after she has a stable job.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
July 2007
Just Neighbors recently received a call from a former client, Majid. Majid fled Iran in the 1990s and was granted protection as a refugee by the U.S. government. He left his country because he was not a Muslim and was not able to practice his faith freely. A few years ago, Just Neighbors helped Majid become a citizen of the United States.
Majid is a friendly man who describes himself as a simple, hard-working person that wants to see his family. He has recently rented space for a hair salon in the Virginia suburbs that will be opening in a few weeks. This has been a longtime dream of his.
Like many of our clients, Majid has extended family scattered throughout the world – some who successfully fled to other countries and others who remained at home. This separation has been difficult for Majid who knows it is not safe for him to visit his elderly parents in Iran. His father was recently laid off and his mother has had to retire. He last saw his parents twelve years ago.
As a citizen now, Majid is able to sponsor his parents to come live in the United States. Just Neighbors, with the help of two volunteers, filled out the necessary paperwork and filed it to Immigration prior to the increase in immigration fees. We are confident that his parents’ petitions will be approved and that Majid will be reunited with his parents, who can live with him in the United States…. and visit his hair salon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
June 2007
“WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”
Those are the first words that our clients read on the notice from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announcing that they have been approved for permanent residence status. But for Mr. Habib, these words meant much, much more.
Mr. Habib, an engineer from Tunisia, arrived in the U.S. on a visitor’s visa in 1997. He applied for and was granted asylum in 2004. While in the U.S., he suffered a great misfortune. He lost his vision and is now totally blind. But he isn’t letting that stop him. Mr. Habib maintains a positive attitude and he is taking courses toward a certificate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. His English language skills are already quite impressive; however, he continues to work with a tutor to improve his writing skills.
Just Neighbors assisted Mr. Habib in filing an application to adjust his status to that of a permanent resident. Such cases always involve teamwork ? a volunteer does the initial intake and assists the client with the necessary forms and our staff attorneys ensure that each application package is correctly completed. We often have to make calls to assist the client in getting the necessary medical records and the sometimes hard-to-get vaccination records. And in this case, when Mr. Habib called our office in a panic because of misinformation that he was given by a government official, an attorney calmed him down, explaining the law to him and giving him the correct information. And this time, there was some extra assistance ? because Mr. Habib is currently unemployed, the money for his application fees was donated by the Falls Church Community Fund.
Join us in celebrating with one of America's newest permanent residents. And as for what those words above mean to Mr. Habib? As an asylee, he did not want to risk traveling out of the country; his brother was in a similar situation in Canada. They have not seen each other in more than 20 years. Now Mr. Habib can take that much anticipated journey. Bon voyage, Mr.Habib, and welcome to America!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
May 2007
Just Neighbors recently received a call from Hanna, a refugee living in Falls Church from Africa whose purse had been stolen. Among the contents included her green card, which she needed in order to renew her driver’s license; it was her only photo-id. Hanna was not working, and her husband had a minimal income here as a taxi driver.
When the couple came to one of our community clinics for their appointment, they brought their two-year old child. Hanna was anxious to apply for a replacement green card but was unable to afford the $260 fee to Immigration. Our volunteers and attorneys helped her to fill our the requisite forms that evening and promised her that we would see if we could find a person or organization that would be able to pay the $260 fee.
We contacted the Falls Church Community Service Council (FCS), an organization consisting of churches in Falls Church that provides food, transportation, financial assistance, shelter, and more to residents in need. They happily agreed to pay for Hanna’s replacement green card application. Hanna was thrilled at the news, and she returned to our office so we could finalize her application. We submitted Hanna’s application to Immigration, and she should receive her replacement green card in about ten months. In the meantime, she is fortunate that she has a copy of the green card, and is using her receipt notice from Immigration as she negotiates with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for a license. Other clients in her situation are able to obtain passports from their embassy, but because Hanna is a refugee, she is not supposed to enter the embassy of her homeland.
We are fortunate to be surrounded by and connected to service providers in the area such as FCS. The strength and abundance of social services in Northern Virginia enable us to link clients with other types of assistance they need and to serve clients like Hanna more effectively.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
April 2007
Rosa met an American in her native Colombia and fell in love with him. He proposed to her there, and she came to the United States on a fiancé visa to be with him. But the day after they were married, her husband pushed her down the stairs. “He became a totally different person here,” she said, and the abuse continued. She felt uprooted and abandoned and did not know what to do.
After struggling in her marriage for over a year, she came to Just Neighbors seeking advice. We told her that she could stay in this country legally without depending on her abusive husband. .
We helped Rosa apply for immigration status under a federal law called the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA enables immigrant women to apply for legal status for themselves and their children without relying on an abusive U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident husband.
Staff attorneys spent hours and hours with Rosa compiling evidence of the abuse to send to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS just approved her application for lawful permanent resident status, and the staff of Just Neighbors rejoiced with her at the good news!
Back in Colombia Rosa had spent her time working and studying. She said her life had been easier there because she spoke the common language. It’s hard for her here “because I don’t speak the language as well,” she said.
Rosa said that life is difficult in Colombia for most people. For decades the country has been plagued by a violent conflict between leftist guerillas, right-wing paramilitary groups, and the government. There have been many violations of human rights on all sides. Though much of the conflict was ideological initially, now most of the violence stems from drug-related crime. Colombia is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world, and drug-related crime is the most common cause of death after cancer, according to the BBC.
In addition, she says that many people are fleeing the countryside for the cities – both because of the violence and because the cities have more opportunities. This creates further problems of overcrowding and unemployment. But Rosa said she wasn’t scared for her safety because she was living in a major city, and the worst violence is in the countryside.
Rosa has volunteered at Just Neighbors, making copies and filing to practice her language and office skills. She was recently working at a hotline for Latinos but she lost the job when the management changed. Now she’s looking for a new job. Although she would like to work in an office to improve her English, she’ll work anywhere as she develops her skills. She is optimistic about her future here in the United States and says that there are more opportunities. “I know this country now. This is a good country.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
March 2007
Tongo Bubu showed up at the door of Just Neighbors still in his mechanic uniform. His face lit up with a smile, disguising the fact he has lived through war and years in a refugee camp.
Bubu is from Ethiopia, and though it is the only African country never colonized, it has still seen more than its share of famines, civil conflicts, and war after Eritrea gained independence in a 1993 referendum. An emperor ruled Ethiopia until a self-proclaimed Marxist junta seized power in the 1970s. Then Meles Zenawi’s political party overthrew the Marxists, and continues to rule today. The administrations of both the Marxists and Zenawi ran brutal campaigns against suspected dissidents, according to the BBC News.
Bubu was serving in the Ethiopian navy when Zenawi’s forces overthrew the Marxist government in 1991. He was forced to flee to a refugee camp in Yemen along with thousands of other members of the military as well as civilians, he said. Yemen is not far from Ethiopia, located across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from now-landlocked Ethiopia, which sits between Sudan and Somalia.
He suffered many hardships during the 15 years he spent in the refugee camp. Islam is the official religion of Yemen, though the country’s constitution provides for religious freedom, and relations between religious groups are “generally amicable,” according to the U.S. Department of State website. But as a Christian in Yemen, Bubu said he could not work because “when we apply for a job the first question is ‘what is your religion.’ If you are a Christian they won’t hire you,” he said.
The people were living like animals in the refugee camp, Bubu told me. He said one day Yemeni police raided his friends’ birthday party in the refugee camp. The police took everyone at the celebration to prison. A 2004 report by Refugee Council USA corroborates Bubu’s description of the refugee camp in Yemen: “Christian populations there are facing increased harassment and threats to their personal safety.” The report recommended the U.S. State Department give Ethiopian refugees in Yemen the opportunity to resettle in the United States.
The harsh conditions prompted Bubu and other Christians in the refugee camp to organize a 40-day demonstration in 2005. They wanted to tell the world about their plight. Bubu asked me, “you know about slaves?” When I nodded, he said his life in the refugee camp was “just like a slave, completely a slave.”
Refugee Council USA’s report and the demonstration in Yemen may have helped determine the refugees’ fate. After the demonstration, the U.S. State Department permitted Bubu to make the United States his new home.
Bubu arrived in Alexandria, Virginia, on September 20, 2005, and has been living here ever since. He stays in a house with three friends who served alongside him in the navy and lived with him in the refugee camp. Just Neighbors recently helped Bubu and his friends file petitions so they can become legal permanent residents of the United States. In a few years, he will be eligible to become a U.S. citizen.
Bubu’s mother, brothers, and sisters are still in Ethiopia. He said he hasn’t seen them in 20 years. Though he said he misses them and misses Ethiopia, he said he cannot go back because he fears for his safety.
But when I asked him if he would return to Ethiopia if the government changed, his eyes lighted up and with a smile he said, “yes, why not?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
February 2007
Ahmed* grew up and lived most of his life in Afghanistan until he was forced to flee because of war. His country has been embroiled in almost continuous conflict since 1979 when the Soviets invaded. Popular guerilla forces who called themselves mujahideen rose up in opposition and promised a jihad or holy war against the Soviets. The U.S. got involved and began supporting and training the mujahideen because it viewed them as a cold war ally against the Soviet Union. The Soviets fled. But conflict continued as rival factions fought each other for control of the country.
At last in 1996 a group called the Taliban asserted itself as the strongest. It imposed harsh fundamentalist laws, including stoning to death as punishment for adultery, severing hands for theft, and forbidding women from attending school or working. It also committed many human rights abuses.
Ahmed, his wife and two children fled these conditions for the neighboring country of Tajikistan. They lived in a refugee camp there for four years, and during their time there had two more children. But Ahmed said Tajikstan was “no good, like Afghanistan,” so they moved again, this time to a refugee camp in Uzbekistan. They stayed there for another four years and had one more child. But then Uzbekistan reversed its policy of allowing Afghan refugees to live in the country, according to Ahmed. So he applied for refugee status to come to the United States. After ten months and a long flight, he arrived with his family in Washington Reagan airport on December 6, 2005.
Ahmed says his life here is a struggle. He has four children to support, along with car insurance payments and rent. Because three of his children are too young for school, his wife stays home with the children so she cannot work. Ahmed has been working at an airport since he arrived. He speaks little English, making it difficult for him to communicate. But he attends daily English classes and recently started a job training program with Fairfax County.
Now Just Neighbors is helping Ahmed and his family to obtain permanent resident status so they can continue making a better life for themselves.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
January 2007
“I have found my children! My children are alive!” This was the thrilling news from our client, Mr. D.
Mr. D. fled Sierra Leone in 1998 during the country’s civil war, just before rebels succeeded in a bloody coup overthrowing the democratically elected government. A successful businessman in Freetown, Mr. D. had been imprisoned for providing financial support to a government opposition group. He managed to flee during a jailbreak, and walked to a refugee camp in neighboring Liberia.
Immediately upon arriving in the refugee camp, he attempted to contact his family. His home phone line was no longer in service. He did reach his aunt, who informed him that his mother had fled to a refugee camp in Guinea (which also borders Sierra Leone), taking with her Mr. D.’s son and infant daughter.
Mr. D. entered the United States through Mexico and immediately applied for asylum based on being persecuted for his political opinions in Sierra Leone. He continued to search for his family, but letters to his mother were returned unopened. He was unable to reach any family member by telephone. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross were unable to locate the family.
In Sierra Leone, the 11-year civil war ended in 2002, leaving some 50,000 people dead, with many others traumatized and forced to flee for their lives. During the war, rebels burned villages, hacked off people’s limbs, and systematically raped women. The mother of Mr. D.’s children has not been heard from since 1998 and is presumed dead in the conflict.
Ahmed Tejan Kabbah was re-elected President in 2002 and his Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won a large majority in Parliament. Though many international monitors called the elections fair, there were numerous reports of irregularities.
In July 2005, Mr. D. received the joyful news that a friend of his, in Guinea on business, had searched the refugee camp at Forecariah and located his mother and the two children. The friend immediately took the family to call Mr. D., and he was able to speak with the children for the first time in eight years!
Today Sierra Leone faces the task of reconstruction, along with the problems of poverty, tribal rivalry and official corruption that caused the war. Mr. D.’s family has returned to Sierra Leone, and he sends them money regularly. Just Neighbors awaits with him the approval of applications for his children to join him in the United States as asylees. We will assist him to apply for his mother at the first opportunity, which will be when Mr. D. becomes a citizen.
With the 2007 election only months away, there have been reports of political parties intimidating opponents trying to campaign in certain places. Police are bracing for possible violence, with the Director of Police Media saying he has put in place measures aimed at preventing violence during the elections this year. We hope Mr. D’s son and daughter are able to join their father in the United States before the election.
-----------------------------------------
Stories Before 2007
Just Neighbors helped secure asylum for a Serbian national in fear of returning home.
Mr. Dusan is a 26-year old student from Serbia who came to Just Neighbors needing help applying for political asylum. His parents had been opponents of the former Serbian dictator, Slobodan Milosevic, and Mr. Dusan had been a member of the Serbian student movement against Milosevic’s rule. As a result, the government had cut off the water and electricity to Mr. Dusan’s house, his parents had been fired from their jobs, and he had been restricted from pursuing higher education. Serbian security forces detained and beat Mr. Dusan after they broke up a concert and pro-democracy political rally that he attended.
After Milosevic fell from power in 2000, Mr. Dusan thought he and his family were safe, and in 2002 he came to the United States to continue his studies. But a month before he planned to return home, he learned that a pro-Milosevic paramilitary group, angry at their loss of control of the government, was taking revenge upon their enemies. They sent death threats to Mr. Dusan’s parents, told them they would kill him if he returned, and even burned down their home. Mr. Dusan’s parents warned him not to return to Serbia.
Just Neighbors faced a challenge in representing Mr. Dusan in this application for asylum. While we believed his story, and agreed that he would be in danger if he returned, we found it difficult to prove that conditions were still dangerous in Serbia. After the fall of Milosevic, the Western press had lost interest in Serbian politics, and there were few published news sources available documenting the continuing violence. In preparing his application, we learned that Mr. Dusan had attempted suicide in Serbia due to his despair about what had happened to him and his family. Mr. Dusan seemed very depressed, and we worried that he might attempt suicide again if his asylum application did not succeed.
Just Neighbors spent hours researching country conditions and formulating a legal argument for Mr. Dusan. We found one important document, an INS (now USCIS) asylum office paper on human rights in Serbia that supported Mr. Dusan’s contention that conditions were still dangerous, particularly for activist university students. The day before Mr. Dusan’s asylum interview, the Prime Minister of Serbia, Zoran Djindjic, was assassinated by Milosevic loyalists. Djindjic’s assassins were members of the same group that had threatened Mr. Dusan and his parents, and therefore the assassination demonstrated that Mr. Dusan’s fears were well-founded.
Mr. Dusan’s asylum interview went well, but he would not learn whether he had won his case until two weeks later. When he went to pick up the decision from the asylum office, a Just Neighbors Staff Attorney went with him. We were delighted to find that his application had been approved.
In the weeks after his asylum interview, Mr. Dusan said that he felt truly safe for the first time in years. He began working and saving money so that he could complete his studies in engineering.
A Bolivian mother with two children escaped an abusive spouse, obtained employment authorization, and applied for legal permanent residence.
Ms. Garcia, a citizen of Bolivia, has lived in Arlington since 2000. She moved here to marry a U.S. citizen and had a child with him. But when she got pregnant with a second child, he began to abuse her. Her efforts to seek protection from the police were futile; one officer even told her she should just go back to her own country.
Just Neighbors helps immigrant women like Ms. Garcia leave their abuser and obtain lawful immigration status. Since Immigration recognizes Ms. Garcia as a victim of domestic violence, Just Neighbors obtained employment authorization for her so that she may work as she waits the processing of her lawful permanent residency.
A Pakistani asylee fled his country because of religious persecution and worked with Just Neighbors to bring his children to the U.S.
Mr. Bunda fled from Pakistan to the United States due to threats to his life because he is a Christian. A skilled teacher and devoted father, he reluctantly left his wife and children behind as he sought a safe haven. Mr. Bunda came to Just Neighbors seeking assistance. Just Neighbors successfully helped Mr. Bunda win asylum for himself. Since then he found out his wife passed away. Just Neighbors is now helping him file necessary paperwork for his children to join him.
A woman from Nicaragua receives her much-awaited green card.
Ms. Ruiz was radiant – the long-awaited green card had arrived! She was holding it! For Ms. Ruiz, the green card represented more than permission to work and a path to naturalization. The green card was a symbol that she was “on her feet again”. Ms. Ruiz had left an abusive husband, taking her four children with her to a shelter. Thanks to the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), passed by Congress in 1998, Ms. Ruiz was able to apply for a green card because she had lived continuously in the United States since 1990.
Ms. Ruiz is now taking English lessons, because the green card means that tuition is less expensive for her. She hopes to obtain her license to do home child care.
Thank you letter from client who received help getting her son’s green card
“I am writing you this letter to thank you and express my appreciation for everything you’ve done for me and my son. In September of 2000, I filed for legal residency for my son who at the time was only 16 months old. For three years I was going back and forth through all kinds of attorneys trying to get his green card, but I found nothing but roadblocks, even though I am a citizen since 1989. I was told about Just Neighbors in Chicago and moved to Northern Virginia and started working with Just Neighbors in the month of August 2003. I finally got my son’s green card in April of 2004- that’s almost four years. I was absolutely thrilled! I then filed for his citizenship last year and I got it in December. I don’t know how long it would have taken without you since I couldn’t afford those private attorneys. Keep up the good work and thanks a lot. "
A mother and son from El Salvador were able to demonstrate physical abuse by the husband against the mother, and successfully obtained permanent US resident status and separation from the husband.
Maria faced verbal and escalating physical abuse from her husband. He even knocked out her teeth. Her husband was a permanent resident but since he had failed to complete all the paperwork for his wife’s visa, Maria did not have authorization to work in the United States. Instead she devoted herself to caring for their children. When she couldn’t take the abuse any longer, she separated from her husband, taking her children with her. A citizen of El Salvador, Maria has lived in Arlington since 1996.
Maria came to Just Neighbors seeking help to gain legal status in the U.S. Just Neighbors submitted an application with Immigration that demonstrated both the physical abuse from her husband and his refusal to process the immigration papers that would grant her legal status and independence in the U.S. Maria now has lawful permanent residence and permission to work. She is employed and supports her children. She says, “I see the world differently now that I left my husband, and I am going to work to make my life and my family’s life better.”
An elderly Somalian refugee needing Medicaid appealed the requirement for a citizenship exam due to her dementia.
Our 74 year-old Somalian refugee client first set foot in the United States with her daughter, son-in-law, and 5 grandchildren in 1997. Though we generally don’t handle naturalization cases at Just Neighbors, this client was special. She needed to be naturalized in order to once again receive Social Security benefits and Medicaid. The law requires that these benefits end for a refugee after 7 years of living in the U.S. if that person does not naturalize. In order to naturalize, a person must take and pass an English language exam and a U.S. History and Civics exam. Tests are only given in English. Our client, at 74 with dementia was unable to speak, read or write English.
Her first naturalization application in 2004 included a request for exemption to these exams and was denied. She had the right to appeal the decision. However, because she didn’t understand what she received in the mail, she missed her appellate opportunity. If Just Neighbors had received her paperwork, we could have helped her with the appeal process and maybe she would already have her citizenship. Instead we had to begin the application process again, and once again request the necessary exemptions. We are hopeful that this time her application will be approved.
She smiles, even though her monthly income is $220. She smiles even though a fire earlier this year destroyed their apartment and all of their belongings. This client is special, though she doesn’t speak English, her smile is universally understood.
A Korean woman attained permanent U.S. residence because she had been treated for depression by a doctor after her husband demanded she pay him to continue residence proceedings.
Ms. Tan came to the U.S. from Korea to attend Northern Virginia Community College. She married a U.S. citizen and stayed with him for two unhappy years. Her husband disapproved of her contacting her friends, and she became increasingly isolated. Her husband could not hold a job, and started depending on Ms. Tan financially; he used her credit card and left her debt. He held her immigration status over her, saying “You owe me over $10,000. You will get U.S. residency because of me and it costs $10,000. You should pay me that much.” In addition to feeling disrespected by this accusation, she was kicked out of her apartment when her husband brought home a girlfriend.
Ms. Tan came to Just Neighbors with a difficult case. She had had no contact with her friends who would otherwise corroborate her story. She had no physical injuries. She had never called the police. She revealed no contemporaneous record of the abuse, except a diary kept in Korean. After a volunteer translated the diary entries for Just Neighbors, Just Neighbors learned that Ms. Tan had been treated by a psychiatrist for depression. Her medical records provided all the substantiation needed to submit an application on her behalf; her diary was used to support her affidavit.
While she waited for her petition to be processed, Just Neighbors helped her in obtaining employment authorization. Although this client first came to us in late 2000, it was not until the fall of 2004 that shouts of joy rang through the hallway: Ms. Tan had finally received her lawful permanent residence!
A mother and her son from the Philippines were both able to secure green cards because the mother’s spouse was abusive.
Ms. Wu, a 37-year old woman from the Philippines, married an abusive U.S. citizen. He was an alcoholic and addicted to prescription drugs. He physically abused her. Though he didn’t abuse their two-year-old son, the boy suffered from severe eczema, exacerbated by emotional stress. Since Ms. Wu’s husband was unemployed and she did not have work authorization, she was scared they would be evicted from their apartment. She approached Just Neighbors asking for help with an application for lawful permanent residence filed by her husband
She could apply for protection as an abused spouse under the Violence Against Women Act, but she would have to wait months before she received employment authorization due to Immigration backlogs. She worried that she would not be able to support herself and her son if this happened. Despite the abuse, she felt certain that her husband would still accompany her to the green card interview.
So she decided to go to the green card interview with her husband, and not to try to get a green card as a battered spouse. However, a Just Neighbors staff attorney found an obscure provision of immigration law that allowed certain long-time workers in the United States to get a green card without having a financial sponsor. Under this law, Ms. Wu’s husband’s low income would not prevent her from gaining legal permanent residence; instead, her own strong earnings record established that she was not likely to request public benefits.
With Just Neighbors’ careful preparation, Ms. Wu successfully adjusted her status to lawful permanent residence, despite her husband’s lack of income. Now Ms. Wu can confront her abusive husband. And her son’s eczema has improved. She and her son now have a chance at security and independence.
A family was granted asylum from Pakistan, and has thought of Just Neighbors as “a place of peace.”
The Samora family came to the United States from Pakistan, and remains here because the Department of Homeland Security granted them asylum – it would not be safe for them to return to their homeland. A the volunteer attorney for Just Neighbors helped Mrs. Samora, her husband, and their second-grade daughter complete their applications for green cards.
As asylees, the Samora parents have permission to live and work in the United States. When they have their green cards, they can travel without permission. And after five years as lawful permanent residents, they are eligible to apply for naturalization and become U.S. citizens.
“We think of this as a place of peace,” Mrs. Samora said. “When we first started coming here, we were depressed and anxious. We always felt welcomed here. The baby would sleep over on that couch, and we would work at this table. All of you have always been so kind to us. I do not mind waiting here at all. We are happy to be in this place.”
Just Neighbors helped a Nigerian obtain her physical green card after a long delay by Immigration.
Ms. Olawa, from Nigeria, has been a lawful permanent residence since 2000. She did not receive her green card, issued by USCIS (formerly INS) to document her residency status. We have too many clients who do not receive this green card in a timely manner. The green card is necessary for work inside the United States and travel outside of the U.S. Just</lang_en>
