Dear Friends,

As summer winds down, Just Neighbors is gearing up for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) renewals for Salvadorans.  Here’s our August update.

Client Story

“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). 

Dear Friends,

July 30th marked the deadline for applications to Immigration before the new fee increases take effect.  This has created a very busy July for our staff attorneys, who have been working long hours to finalize and submit applications so that clients do no have to pay the new rates, which nearly triple in some cases.

Client Story
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. 

Dear Friends,

Just Neighbors has had a busy June.  Thanks to the help of our three summer interns, we have been meeting with many immigrants, refugees, and asylees this month so that we can submit their applications to Immigration before July 30th, when Immigration fees will increase.  Below are some highlights from the month.

Client Story
By Volunteer Pat Onufrak
 
“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.

Dear Friends,

I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the warm weather and the beginning of summer.  Here’s an update on Just Neighbors’ May and ways to get involved.

Client Story

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.