Overview
In May 2018, our client, a Venezuelan pre-law student, fled to the U.S. after being targeted and attacked by the government as a result of her leadership in the student protest movement. She endured numerous physical attacks and was forced into hiding, and ultimately fled to the United States. Upon arrival in the U.S., she was immediately detained in immigration jail for five months while she awaited trial.
Barack Ferrazzano worked closely with the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), filing an asylum application with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on our client's behalf. Her detention throughout the trial made case preparation especially difficult since our team was unable to meet in person and had limited communication. Our team worked tirelessly, earning commendation from the presiding Judge on multiple occasions, based on remarkable efforts that went above and beyond to obtain asylum.
Following our client's eloquent testimony she was released from immigration jail and granted asylum without opposition by the ICE attorney on October 18, 2018.
Congratulations to our client and her family. Our pro bono trial team was led by partners Maile Hitomi Solís, John M. Geiringer, paralegal Jessica M. Swisher, and legal assistant Aurora Garcia.
View below to see our client (center, in Bears hat) and pro bono team, along with Heartland Alliance International, Program Development Officer Camila Garzon-Ruiz.
About The National Immigrant Justice Center
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) — a Heartland Alliance program — is a legal aid organization, dedicated to protecting human rights and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. In addition to legal services NIJC serves these vulnerable groups through policy reform, impact litigation, and public education. NIJC has provided legal services to more than 10,000 individuals with a success rate of 90% in asylum cases.
To learn more about the NIJC, visit: https://www.immigrantjustice.org/