April 2009

Client Story

A county social worker made an appointment with us for one of her clients.  Nadie, a mother of three, came to the attention of the social worker through the public schools.  Nadie speaks NO English.  She does not work and is extremely isolated.  Nadie's second grade daughter was having problems in school; when the teacher contacted Nadie (using an Arabic interpreter) she was struck with the warm responsiveness of Nadie.  Furthermore, the daughter's problems vanished.

Nadie came to our office with her 3-year-old U.S. citizen child to see about obtaining green cards for herself and her two older children.  Our volunteer attorney Cynthia completed our usual intake paperwork with Nadie.  When she reached the question "Do you feel threatened in your home?", there was a long pause.  When Nadie finally spoke, she denied any fear of her husband.

Nadie's husband had fled to the United States from Sudan and received asylum.  To receive asylum here, he had to prove that he had been persecuted or feared persecution in his homeland.  Nadie and the two older children became asylees through him.  But now he will not help them to apply for green cards.  It could be that the application fee of roughly $1,000 each (plus a medical exam for each), is daunting.  But we are concerned that his failure to help his family secure their status here is part of a domestic abuse pattern of control -- no English classes, no going outside the home.

Cynthia, with the help of another volunteer who speaks Arabic and the social worker, explained to Nadie that we could help her request a fee waiver for the applications.  In the fee waiver, we must verify the household income and expenses and show to Immigration that the family is unable to pay the filing fees.  The social worker is trying to pull together the medical examinations, and Cynthia is completing the forms.  The green cards will put the family on the path to U.S. citizenship and a more permanent immigration status for Nadie and her children.

We do not know where the husband is in all of this.  It is nice to be able to help Nadie and her children even without his participation.

This mother is reaching out for help because she wants her children to be safe in the United States; she is seeking the most stable immigration status for them.  As Mother's Day approaches, we honor mothers like Nadie who overcome fear to secure a more promising future for their children.

Volunteer of the Month

Cynthia Ingersoll is a retired attorney who assisted at one of our clinics last May and realized she could have a big impact by volunteering during office hours.  Cynthia now comes in two afternoons per week and works out of our "volunteer attorney" office.  She serves clients such as Nadie with the supervision of our staff attorneys.  Although Cynthia had never practiced immigration law, her attentiveness to detail and commitment to the immigrants that come through our doors has made her a tremendous asset to our organization.  Thank you Cynthia!

Just Neighbors is supporting a Raids Response Training on Wednesday, May 6th hosted by Hogar Immigration Services of Catholic Charities and the Immigration Advocacy Program of the Legal Aid Justice Center.  The event is targeted toward community organizers, staff of immigrant rights' groups, clergy, teachers, advocates, and anyone who works directly with the immigrant community.  The two-hour workshop will focus on what immigrants should do if they encounter ICE or the police and how to train immigrants about their rights.  The event will take place from 10am-Noon at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center at 3159 Row St, Falls Church 22044.  For more information or to RSVP, please contact Edgar Aranda at edgar@justice4all or (703) 778-3450.

Just Neighbors will be holding an on-line auction through eBay in the weeks ahead.  We have been gathering gift certificates to restaurants, paintings, signed baseballs, and much more.  If you know of someone who would be willing to make a tax-deductible donation for the auction, please contact Rob Rutland-Brown at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (703) 979-1240.  Look for a follow-up announcement when we open the bidding!

Around the Office

In March, ten of Just Neighbors' clients received their green cards in the mail.  This led to ten very exciting phone calls in which we gave the good news to our clients that their long-awaited cards for permanent residency had arrived.  These phone calls are a highlight for us each week, as there is usually celebrating, gratitude, and often crying on the other end of the line.

We are grateful to the Olender Foundation for a first-time grant in support of our work with low-income immigrants and refugees. 

We are also appreciative of support from a funding stream called Modest Needs for purchasing a fingerprinting kit for Just Neighbors.  By fingerprinting certain clients in-house, we are able to fully assess a client's background, especially in cases of clients who don't remember or have disabilities and traumas that lead to an unclear picture of their past.  By conducting a fingerprint check before we submit an application to Immigration, we are able to present a completed case to Immigration, knowing any possible problems beforehand.

Thank you to everyone who has already made a contribution to our Spring Mother's Day campaign.  For the rest of you, it's not too late!  If we receive a tax-deductible donation from you by May 5th, we will send a Mother's Day or similar card to your loved one sharing that you have given a donation in their honor to Just Neighbors to help us unite an immigrant mother with her children.  Please mail your check, along with the name and address of the individual/s you'd like us to honor, to the address below.  We appreciate your support.