Ana arrived in the United States at 18 months of age with her mother fleeing violence in Honduras, which continues to endure one of the world’s highest homicide rates. Since her arrival in the U.S. 22 years ago, Ana has married, had children, fostered a child, and presently works with autistic children. Sadly, Ana is […]
Just Neighbors Paves the Way for a Promising Future Read More »
In the past week, we have all heard rumors of possible ICE enforcement action in the interior of the U.S. Just Neighbors has no direct information on the likelihood of these raids but remains concerned about the negative impact the detention of area immigrants may have on the rich fabric of residents, both immigrants and
Just Neighbors Statement on ICE Raids Read More »
Alina comes from a culture where arranged marriages are common, and her family had arranged such a marriage for her. She was excited to come to the United States, get married and start a new life with her husband and his family. She met her husband for the first time on their wedding day. Unbeknownst
Arranged Marriage: Hope, Despair, and Now Hope Again Read More »
By: Jeanne Barnes The views and opinions expressed in this reflection are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Just Neighbors. Write what you see; this is often the instruction given to writers. I am basically an optimistic person, so I want to write what I saw
What I Saw: A Volunteer’s Experience at the US/Mexican Border Read More »
Victoria is a single Mom with 3 children now living and working here in Northern Virginia. But her story begins in El Salvador. Her Mom had emigrated to the USA when she was a child, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents. Then at an early age, she was a single Mom with a
On April 29, 2019, a Presidential Memorandum (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-memorandum-additional-measures-enhance-border-security-restore-integrity-immigration-system/) ordered the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to propose regulations imposing significant barriers for asylum-seekers in search of protection in the United States. While the Memorandum addresses additional issues, some of which contradict each other, we want to highlight that the government intends to charge
Mary Elizabeth started her time at Just Neighbors as a Legal Fellow in 2017 and recently became our newest Staff Attorney after getting barred. We sat down to ask her about her journey. Why did you choose to become an attorney? I wanted to help people after receiving my college degree, but I had yet
An Interview with Mary Elizabeth Maffei, Just Neighbors’ Newest Staff Attorney Read More »
There seems to be no end to religious persecution on our planet. And this is exactly what brought Umida to the USA. The situation in her homeland, Uzbekistan, was unbearable. She survived in a refugee camp for 6 months, and was finally able to leave, arriving in Northern Virginia in 2010. Her first visit with
I love Just Neighbors Read More »
Last week, at a Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church in St. Louis, MO, delegates passed the Traditional Plan, which tightened the rules restricting inclusion of the LGBTQI community. We grieve with the LGBTQI community, feel the pain of a deeply divided global church, and acknowledge the hurt that this
Statement on United Methodist Church 2019 Special Session of the General Conference Read More »
“This means that you will represent us; we are not going to be alone in this?” The young man and his wife couldn’t believe that after everything they had been through to come to the U.S. and everything that they had tried to do to do to “fix” their papers that someone was actually going
Dreams Come True for Neighbors on the Eastern Shore Read More »