Success Stories - Migrant Center For Human Rights

“God bless you. Firstly, I thank you for your visits and for all the help that you are giving. It is not easy to be in this situation to be here in the detention center, deprived of liberty that we all have the right to as human beings, without exception of race, political opinion, religion, or nationality.

I thank you with all of my heart for all of the help that your are giving me and may you would be richly blessed for this huge and necessary support that you offer to those people that do not have economic resources. God bless you and protect you.”

February 2022

Guinean Political Refugee Wins Asylum

An Immigration Judge granted asylum to a young man from Guinea who was severely beaten by the police for using his phone to film the police brutally beating some women during a peaceful street celebration of the presidential election results. We assisted him with his asylum application, several hundred pages of human rights research, review of his personal evidence, and preparing for court. In his words of thanks: “If I win it is because of you. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to do my case. When I gave my application to the judge the judge said your application is well-written. Two other people here with me who had an attorney were told by the judge that their application didn’t give them the right to stay. You have also helped my friend that I met traveling here.”

January 2022

We Reverse a Negative CFI in Immigration Court

We won a chance at asylum for a gay man from Panama who had been denied at his Credible Fear Interview (CFI). We prepared him for court and represented him remotely via televideo conferencing. He has now been released from detention to prepare his asylum application at home with his family.

December 2021

We Win Appeal at the Board of Immigration Appeals

In 2018 an Immigration Judge denied asylum to our Darfuri client, finding that although it is more likely than not the Sudanese government will torture him, there is not around a 10% chance that it will be due to his tribe or political opinion. A panel of three judges at the Board of Immigration Appeals agreed with us that the Immigration Judge did not properly consider his case and remanded. We await a decision from the judge.

November 2021

Immigration Judge Lowers Bond for Our Honduran Client

The Immigration Judge granted our client a bond and lowered it from 9,000 to 5,000 as our client has shown himself to be less of a flight risk since the judge granted him bond in 2018, by attending his hearings and being in touch with counsel, and for lack of any additional criminal record. ICE had illogically refused to respond to our various requests for his release for close to a month. This is just one example of how ICE is not following their new enforcement policies and why the right to judicial review is so important. In the first two months of FY2022 Immigration judges held 4,193 bond hearings, granting 1,613 bond (38.5%).

October 2021

We Win Appeal at the Board of Immigration Appeals

September 2021

Guatemalan Released from Detention, Gets ICE to Move to Dismiss Removal Proceedings

ICE decided to release a Guatemalan crime victim after we filed an extensive packet of evidence showing that, as a cooperating witness in a federal smuggling trial, he would qualify for a U-visa or S-visa. The prosecutor subsequently decided to join a Motion to Dismiss removal proceedings. He is now with his family in Dallas and has the option to file for asylum through the non-adversarial affirmative USCIS process.

August 2021

Proceedings Dismissed for Two Crime Victims

DHS agreed to dismiss removal proceedings for two victims of criminal smuggling who testified as material witnesses after we sent a letter to DHS with close to 100 pages of evidence information about their cases. On August 10 DHS issued a prosecutorial discretion memo — ICE Directive 11005.3 — that directs ICE to assist crime victims with their cases. Read our line-by-lineanalysis of this memo. The two men will now be able to pursue their cases in the less adversarial USCIS process.

July 2021

Immigration Judge Vacates Two Negative Asylum Officer Results

IJ vacated the negative credible fear interview results for a Honduran and Colombian after the Migrant Center helped them prepare for their hearing. Our preparation includes a review of the legal system, their rights and responsibilities, tips on how to testify clearly, a practice session, and an explanation of the law.

April 2021

We Win Asylum Case at the Board of Immigration Appeals

The Board of Immigration Appeals agreed with all our arguments explaining why the Immigration Judge erred in denying protection to our client despite finding him credible. Bryan served in the Honduran military in 2016, when his superiors ordered his unit to go out into the streets and break up a peaceful protest, with violence if necessary. Bryan refused to shoot the protestors and was punished, fired, and then searched for and threatened with death. He fled immediately with his partner and young son. The Board of Immigration Appeals said that the judge erred in not finding that he had expressed a political opinion against “participat[ing] in inhumane conduct (that is conduct condemned by the international community as contrary to the basic rules of human conduct)”. The Board of Immigration Appeals further found that the judge did not appropriately consider the risk he faces in light of the fact that he was a first-hand witness to the government’s shoot to kill order, an order that resulted in multiple deaths as documented by various news outlets. Byran’s case was also never considered for asylum due to Trump’s Interim Final Rule “Asylum Eligibility and Procedural Modifications” of July 16, 2019 that took away the right to asylum for those traveling through third countries on their way to the U.S. and that now has been enjoined in East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Garland. Nicaraguan Asylum Seeker Wins Case

After going through our court prep program, a Nicaraguan political opponent of the Ortega regime was granted asylum by an Immigration Judge. He left us a voicemail saying: “I’m calling to thank you a lot for all the support that you gave me. I am thankful for your help. Thanks to God I got my asylum. Thank you for all the advice and good wishes. May God bless you a lot. Thank you for everything.” Our prep sessions include a review of what to expect in court, the individual’s legal rights and responsibilities, how to present information in a clear manner working with an interpreter, a moot court practice session, and an overview of the relevant legal standards. See our merits hearing prep packet for more information about our program. ICE Releases Two Migrant Center Clients Experiencing Excessive Court Delays

Our Angolan client Moyo was released from detention after we filed a request with the San Antonio Field Office under President Biden’s new Case Review program. He had been in detention since October 2020 and had been denied release by an Immigration Judge because he has no family in the U.S. As he explains: “I see it like an injustice to let them leave but me, no. I have never committed any crimes.” Read more about this common legal problem in Ondobo’s Immigrant Voice story. We had been waiting six weeks for the judge’s decision at the time ICE agreed to release him. He told us: “I felt very bad because I think the judge needs to give the decision positive or negative in the moment.” Our Honduran client Bryan was released after spending close to two years in detention. An Immigration Judge denied his case in June 2020 and he has been going through the appeal process since. He has no criminal history and two young children here in the U.S. that he speaks with almost every day. He told us: “There are some days I feel frustration, I see that there are people who turned in their appeal after me who already have a response… Being detained for so long is horrible because sometimes they violate our rights here. I have a lot of hunger but when I see the bad food they give us it makes my hunger disappear. It is difficult to be detained all this time waiting for my appeal because of my family… Sometimes [my son] walks around sad and says that he doesn’t want to go to school. I want to be with them in order to give them my love and support them in what they need.” Read more of Moyo and Bryan’s stories in our Immigrant Voice feature from last month.

February 2021

Client Suffering PTSD and Severe Depression Released

ICE released Ondobo from detention. We were supported by a team of doctors who met with him by televideo and who prepared a compelling letter for ICE explaining how detention was exacerbating his trauma. Ondobo wrote his story in an Immigrant Voice where he talks about his difficulties trying to get bond, including being denied release by an immigration judge because he doesn’t have family and friends here so needs to go to an immigrant shelter (there is a BIA case that says that without community ties a person is a flight risk and must stay detained). He writes: “Thank you for everything you have done for me. I will never stop knowing that I have someone here in the United States who welcomes me.” We Help Reverse a Negative Credible Fear Interview

A refugee from Cuba called us to thank us for our help in preparing him for court after an Immigration Judge reversed the negative credible fear results USCIS gave him. He reports: “It was your advice on how to tell my story that helped me.” He is now eligible for release from detention and has a chance to fight for asylum.

January 2021

Win of Release for Immigrant with Hypertension and Diabetes after ICE Fails to Deport Him for One Year

ICE released Kitongo from custody a year after an Immigration Judge decided in January 2020 that he should be sent back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The U.S. Constitution states that, with no clear path to his removal in the reasonably foreseeable future, his detention becomes arbitrary. Deportation is presumed to be unreasonable at six months per the Supreme Court in Zadvydas v. Davis. Kitongo was placed on a deportation flight in October and again in November and both times was taken off the flight without explanation. He did everything ICE requested to assist with his deportation but was again denied release on January 5. The next day Migrant Center filed a request for his release based on prolonged detention and his medical vulnerability and he was released two weeks later. In April 2020, the district court in Fraihat v. ICE stated that ICE must consider release for individuals with hypertension and diabetes as they are especially at risk of COVID complications and death. It is not clear if ICE ever conducted this review for Kitongo. Patients with underlying diseases like Kitongo’s die from COVID-19 at a rate 12 times higher than those without these diseases. Even though the facility provided him with medication for his hypertension and a special diet for his diabetes — that he reports is not good and difficult to eat — this did not allay our concerns. Due to his situation, he also requested return to Mexico, where he has permanent residency, but it appears that ICE never explored this option. There are approximately 13,766 individuals — according to DHS data — who are currently on Orders of Supervision. Success in Helping Helder Get Deported Back to His Family After ICE Delays for Three Months Helder was pulled off his deportation flight in October even though he told ICE that he wanted to return home, ostensibly because other Nicaraguans were claiming asylum and ICE believed he needed an interview, although ICE never clearly explained their reasoning to him. Regardless, ICE never took him to see a USCIS asylum officer and after several months of speaking to and sending request letters to ICE, all to no avail, he reached out to the Migrant Center for help. We filed a request for his immediate deportation in December due to the hardship his family was facing in Nicaragua as a result of not having their primary breadwinner supporting them and ICE finally removed him at the beginning of January. He was unnecessarily held in ICE detention and exposed to COVID-19 during this three-month delay.

October 2020

Immigration Judge Reverses Negative USCIS Asylum Results for Ghanaian Father

An Immigration Judge determined that David should have the right to an asylum hearing after listening to him explain his case. USCIS had previously decided that he did not have a significant possibility of proving his case in court and then, after getting these negative results, David reached out to the Migrant Center for help in preparing for the judicial review of these results. We reviewed the interview paperwork and spoke to David for about three hours on how to present his story to the Immigration Judge in a way the judge could understand. We conducted a practice court session with him and explained how U.S. procedures and laws work so he would understand the judicial process. The day before his hearing a community member hired a lawyer for him so we worked with this lawyer for close to an hour explaining all the legal ins-and-outs of his case as she hadn’t met with him yet (we were also able to quickly forward her all his paperwork which she would not have been able to get otherwise). After the hearing she wrote:
“I wanted to share the good news that the client has the CFI determination reversed!! The judge did not grant my motion to continue, so we proceeded with the hearing. He did really good!! I feel the preparation you did with him really helped him.”
David was able to stop his deportation with the help of our donors, whose contributions allowed us to jump in and provide support to him and later to his attorney. Because the Immigration Judge reversed the USCIS decision, he was able to apply for his release from detention and is now living with his wife and new-born son. Read David’s story about the hardships he and his pregnant wife went through due to ICE forcibly separating them, including how he struggled during his interview because he didn’t know where she was.

September 2020

Migrant Center Wins Release for Medically Vulnerable Angolan Refugee

ICE granted parole to our Angolan client after he spentmost of 2020 in detention with hypertension, increasing his risk of COIVD-19 complications six-fold. In his words: “I can say 100 % for sure if I am here now how you see me in total liberty how I am outside detention it is thanks to the Migrant Center and for this reason I truly thank all the people, all the American community who support the Migrant Center.” Watch the a video of him discussing his experience after being release at the San Antonio bus station.

Cuban Reverses Negative CFI with Judge

The Migrant Center helped a Cuban refugee prepare for his hearing before the Immigration Judge where he needed to convince the judge that the USCIS Asylum Officer made a mistake in deciding that he did not have a significant possibility of proving his case in court. At the hearing, the judge agreed with him and decided to give him an opportunity to submit an asylum application for consideration and have access to a full hearing on his claim. Our preparation sessions include a revision of the hearing process and respondents legal due process rights, an overview of how to testify to clearly communicate important aspects of a case, a practice question session, and a discussion of the law so that the asylum seeker knows what to expect, feel more confident before the judge, and can make sure to provide the judge with legally relevant information so that the judge can make the correct decision in the case.

August 2020

Coming Soon

May 2020

Haitian Pastor Wins Withholding of Removal

An Immigration Judge granted our client withholding of removal, finding that there is a greater than 50% chance that he will be persecuted for religious reasons by the Haitian voodoo priests and Catholics – in collaboration with the police – who did not like the fact that he was healing people and spreading the evangelical faith. The Migrant Center helped him prepare his asylum application and evidence and represented him at his merits hearing via televideo from the courthouse in San Antonio. The only reason that he was denied asylum was due to an old, unrelated removal order.

Political Refugee from Cameroon Wins Protection

A political refugee from Cameroon that we had helped prepare his asylum statement and evidence was granted withholding of removal. The only reason that he was denied asylum was due to the Administrations Asylum Ban.

Cuban Refugee Wins Asylum

A Cuban refugee we assisted in preparing for his hearing called us to tell us that he won asylum. He said: “I wanted to call to thank you for all your help, I think that if it hadn’t been for the conversation with you I would have made a lot of errors, I knew how to express myself [with the judge], it helped thinking of it as a conversation”. We review the legal process and due process rights, tips for how to testify to avoid problems and help lower nervousness, and the law’s requirements to receive protection.

April 2020

Venezuelan Client Wins Chance for Asylum

The Migrant Center successfully represented a Venezuelan opponent of the Maduro regime reverse a negative USCIS interview — stopping his deportation and giving him the chance to present his case to an immigration judge.

Cuban Client Released and Reunited with Wife and Children

After two months of advocating with ICE, we succeeded in getting our Cuban political refugee client get released from detention and reunited with his U.S. citizen wife and three children here in Texas.

Three Refugees Win Protection with Migrant Center’s Help

A refugee who was tortured by the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was granted withholding of removal after the Migrant Center helped him prepare for his hearing. Two other refugees – a political refugee from Venezuela and a self-identified lesbian woman fleeing gender-based persecution in the DRC – that we similarly assisted in preparing for their asylum hearings won protection in the U.S. All three refugees have now been released from detention and are reunited with their families.

March 2020

Angolan Client Wins Asylum after Surviving Religious Persecution

The Migrant Center won asylum for a young man from Angola who fled the government after he sought to attend the trial of his religious leader and was attacked and beaten by the police for his religious association. With your support the Migrant Center helped him prepare his asylum application and written testimony, researched and compiled relevant human rights evidence, and represented him at his individual merits hearing. Below he writes words of thanks to the team of volunteers, donors, and staff that helped him throughout the court process:

United States, April 2020

Greetings to all the people in the organization, to you I write:

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

I hope you are all well, I am Joao from Angola, Africa. I am 26 years old. I left my country due to persecution by my government, I have been in detention for six months and 18 days having left on 20 March 2020 thanks to you.

Yes God’s grace, who by [His] mercy put you from the United States in my life path, because of that I come here by to thank all of you who were involved in contributing directly or indirectly to my asylum case.

You, yes thanks be to you, today I am free with the asylum case already won, because you did not measure belief, nor race, nor origin, nor anything else: but your goodness. You did not measure any of those things and you came to my rescue.

Thanks to you, yes to you, I have no words to thank you for this great feat. May God bless all of you. Thank you very much for everything. You are special in my life. For you have changed the history of my life thank you very much and I hope that as you helped me, may you also do, if possible, with more people. Because I was without hope but you gave me hope in my life.

You have changed my history, a new history has begun, thanks be to all of you for your goodness; you are enlightened beings.

May God bless you.

My farewell to you all:

[signed] Joao

Joao was subject to Trump’s Asylum Ban, having crossed the Del Rio Port of Entry bridge into the U.S. on September 2, 2019. The Migrant Center successfully argued that he should be exempted from the ban because he put his name on the U.S. government’s waitlist on May 17, 2019, a month before the rule’s effective date of July 16, 2019, and therefore is eligible for asylum, as affirmed by the Ninth Circuit on March 5 in Al Otro Lado v. Wolf. Read about how the Asylum Ban has affected asylum seekers in our Special Report and learn more in our Practice Advisory. Hear directly from Joao about what his experience was like waiting months to cross the border in Acuna, Mexico.

Refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Wins Asylum

Read hereabout how this month the Migrant Center also helped a political refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo win asylum as our country began to go into lockdown as a result of the spread of COVID-19.

February 2020

Congolese Refugee Wins Asylum with Migrant Center’s Help

A judge granted asylum to a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo finding that he would face persecution if he were deported. DHS waived appeal and he has now been released from detention. The Migrant Center researched and provided him with several hundred pages of human rights reports corroborating his case and also gave him a court testimony tip sheet to help him prepare for trial. He told us shortly after winning his case: “Thank you so much. The information you gave really helped me. I studied it, and it had a lot of good information.” Thank you to our generous donors for helping make this possible.

Cameroonian Asylum Seeker Granted Protection with Assistance from the Migrant Center

Mr. N.T., a high school teacher from the Southwest region, after falling victim to the Cameroonian government’s crackdown on Anglophone teachers and activists who have been calling for more independence from the central government, was arrested without charge, beaten, and held in inhumane conditions for many months. He escaped and came to the U.S. for protection. The Migrant Center assisted him in completing his asylum application, writing his testimony for court, gathering human rights evidence, compiling personal evidence, and informing him of his trial rights, the legal process, and the applicable laws in the U.S. The Immigration Judge granted him withholding of removal finding that there is a greater than 50% chance that he will be persecuted if he is returned to Cameroon. His application for asylum was denied because he entered the United States after July 15, 2019, even though he tried to enter previously and was turned back due to the U.S. “wait in line” metering policy. He is currently seeking to appeal this decision.

Nicaraguan Political Activist Receives Withholding of Removal after the Migrant Center Spends a Year Fighting for Him

Mr. H.R. received withholding of removal after initially losing his case in January 2019 due to ineffective assistance of counsel, appealing to the Board of Immigration Appeals with the Migrant Center’s help, and, after winning his appeal in June 2019, relitigating his case with the Migrant Center’s assistance in completing his asylum application, writing a detailed declaration in English, and researching and compiling human rights and personal evidence (he was denied asylum due to having a previous, unrelated deportation order, read our analysisof why this regulation is harmful unlawful). After close to two years in detention he is now free and living with family in Florida.

January 2020

Migrant Center Helps Cuban Refugee Reverse Negative USCIS Interview

The Migrant Center won a Request for Reconsideration with USCIS for a Cuban asylum seeker who was brutally beaten by the Cuban police for failing to vote and attend meetings in support of the Castro government. He has now been issued a Notice to Appear and will be allowed to present his claim for protection to a U.S. immigration judge.Read more about the fear interview process here.

Qualitative data gathered by the Migrant Center and private attorneys working in Texas shows that the number of denials at fear interviews – necessary to pass for new arrivals placed in Expedited Removal – has increased since the July 16, 2019 Asylum Ban 2.0 was entered into the Federal Register as a Joint Interim Final Rule. These cases are being considered under the higher, more likely than not withholding of removal standard (over 50% likelihood of persecution) instead of the lower asylum reasonable possibility standard (~10% likelihood of persecution).

According to quantitative data from FY2008 to FY2019, Immigration Judges granted asylum to 14 out of 100 individuals who started the asylum process with a USCIS fear interview (in FY2019 12 out of 100 applicants were granted). For charts showing the grant rates at each step of the adjudication process see: FY2008 to FY2019and FY2019.

November 2019

Judge Grants Bond to Father of Four

Attorney Sara Ramey and Law Student Camilla Morrison successfully convinced an Immigration Judge to give a Guatemalan father another chance at a bond hearing (the law only allows for one hearing except in exceptional circumstances). At this second hearing the judge agreed to grant a $6000 bond and our client is now back with his children, wife, mother, and brothers in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

October 2019

Cuban Political Dissident Achieves Reversal of Negative Credible Fear Interview with USCIS

Pro bono attorney Tony Ortega successfully wrote a Request for Reconsideration to USCIS for a Cuban detainee whose negative Credible Fear Interview results were affirmed by the Immigration Judge, despite his well-founded fear of political persecution for opposing the communist regime. With the Migrant Center’s help, including the presentation of evidence that his wife’s similar case was approved by an Immigration Judge, USCIS decided to reverse the negative results it had previously issued and give him a chance to fight for protection in the U.S. along side his wife, as well as request release from detention so that he can be reunified with his wife (who was separated from him at the border and held in detention in Aurora Colorado).

September 2019

Judge Convinced to Give Venezuelan Asylum Seeker a Chance

With the assistance of pro bono attorney Tony Ortega, we were able to help a Venezuelan asylum seeker convince the judge to reverse his negative interview results and give him a chance in court for protection. The Migrant Center team has been traveling to the South Texas Detention Complex and assisting detained immigrants all month, including by helping them prepare to present their cases to an Immigration Judge. Besides merits hearing prep, we also do asylum interview “review” prep. Most asylum seekers must pass a Credible Fear Interview or Reasonable Fear Interview, respectively, before they have the right to present their case to a judge (read here for our analysis of this process). When an asylum seeker does not pass the interview we help them prepare to speak with the judge about why they believe they should still have a chance to receive protection in the U.S. During our preparation for this judicial review we explain the process and their rights, discuss tips for testifying and avoiding interpretation problems, conduct a practice session to familiarize them with court questioning, and review the law with them.

August 2019

Honduran Mother Gets Case Reopened

The Migrant Center helped Eliza, a mother of four from Honduras, reopen her case with the Immigration Court after the court ordered her deported without proper notice of her hearing date. She will now have a chance to seek protection. The Migrant Center has prepare asylum applications with her and her children, as well as a detailed English declaration about their persecution in Honduras.

June 2019

Nicaraguan Wins Appeal

The Migrant Center helped Amilcar, a political opponent of the Nicaraguan dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega, win his appeal at the Board of Immigration Appeals. Due to poor preparation issues outside of his control, very little evidence was initially submitted to the Immigration Judge. He now has another opportunity to present his political persecution case to the Immigration Judge.

April 2019

Congolese Woman Wins Asylum

The Migrant Center helped a woman fleeing political persecution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo win asylum. We researched and compiled human rights reports for her on her political party and conducted an in-person practice testimony session. She wrote us a letter thanking us and everyone who has supported our work: “Glory to God I won my asylum case. That God bless you infinitely today, tomorrow and always and protect your colleagues, your work, your family.” This work wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of individuals in the community like you.

Refugees get Appropriately Screened

The Migrant Center helped one Honduran man convince an Immigration Judge to vacate USCIS’ negative Credible Fear Interview determination and in another case the Migrant Center convinced ICE to schedule a Honduran man for a Reasonable Fear Interview after he had been in detention for over six months without being screened, thus giving both men a chance at fighting for protection here in the U.S. They both now have a chance to file asylum applications in Immigration Court.

March 2019

Three Asylum Wins

The Migrant Center helped three detained refugees receive protection in the U.S. In the first case, we helped a political opponent of Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega prepare for testifying at his final court hearing.

In the second case, we assisted a young father from Honduras fleeing police persecution for refusing to participate in their illegal arms trafficking scheme by helping him fill out his asylum application and write a declaration in English, researching and compiling human rights evidence, assisting him with personal documents – including a psychiatrist evaluation and English translations, and helping him prepare for his final court hearing. We would like to thank everyone who gave so generously of their time to help on this case, including Raiya Al-Nsour, Patricia Walthan, Joy Choi, and Daniela Montufar.

In the third case, we helped a Honduran man who had been raped after suffering years of harassment and discrimination for his perceived sexual identity to prepare his asylum application, compile country condition reports, and get ready to testify before the Immigration Judge. He was aided by pro bonopsychiatrist Joy Choi.

February 2019

Two Imminent Deportations Stopped

Thanks to Kaitlin and the team at Hogan, several hours after the deportation officer called us to say that Josefina would be deported to Honduras the next day, they successfully got a temporary stay from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. When ICE found out about the stay the next morning Josefina was already on a flight back to Honduras. ICE flew her back to the U.S. later the same day.

The day before the Migrant Center succeeded in getting USCIS to change its negative asylum interview decision in Jose’s case and give him a chance at fighting his case before an Immigration Judge.

January 2019

Asylee Released

After a six-month fight to get Syed, a Yemeni asylee, released from detention, he is finely free. Our client was granted asylum in June 2018 but ICE refused to release him while they appealed the decision, even though there were no “exceptional concerns” in the case (the standard ICE is supposed to use to continue detaining someone who has been granted protection in the U.S.). With the help of a team of pro bono lawyers ICE lost their appeal in November 2018. However, ICE still refused to release Syed, stating that they needed to wait until the judge received his updated fingerprints (which ICE had already taken and knew were clear) and reissued the asylum decision. Simultaneously, another asylee client of ours in the exact same situation, but with a different ICE officer, was released. At the end of December 2018 the judge reissued the decision but despite the ICE attorney’s assurances that Syed would then be released, he was still locked up eight days later. We filed an emergency motion and he was finally released the next day.

$1,500 Bond Granted to Dreamer

The Migrant Center helped a Dreamer receive the lowest bond possible from an Immigration Judge after ICE refused to release her due to a pending drug paraphernalia possession arrest. She had let her DACA lapse due to fear-mongering in the community since Trump’s election and lack of economic resources to pay for the process. She is now back with her friends and family.

Pro Bono Win Asylum for Two Refugees at the Board of Immigration Appeals

We are thrilled to report two asylum wins this month. In the first case, Mohamed, a young man from Somalia was granted asylum after spending close to two years in detention with pro bono help of Professor David Gottlieb from Wake Forest and the CLINIC program. The Migrant Center prepared a detailed declaration and evidence packet for Mohamed. The attorney wrote that the Migrant Center’s work was “very helpful in supporting [the] argument on appeal… we cite the I-589 repeatedly, that the country conditions evidence is used to establish the minority status of [his] tribe and the conflict with the [majority tribe], and that Respondent’s declaration concerning his flight was central to our ability to argue that the IJ’s claim that Respondent spent a month in Somalia after his incarceration (and therefore could have safely remained) was not supported in the record.” On remand, DHS tried to deny Mohamed asylum due to his PTSD. The Migrant Center connected the attorney with psychologist Gary Whiting and together they were able to convince the judge that he should be granted asylum. Mohamed is now out of detention after spending 1 1/2 years locked up.

In the second case, Tesfaye, a young man from Eritrea fleeing government torture for expressing his political opinion, pro bono Neil Cohen represented him before the Immigration Judge where he won protection under the Convention Against Torture and continued his case before the BIA where he won asylum, giving him the opportunity to apply for a green card and eventually citizenship.

December 2018

Four People Granted Release from Detention

We won bonds for two clients: A young man from Honduras fleeing police persecution was granted a $2,500 bond by ICE. In another case, a young woman from Honduras (who wrote about her journey to the U.S. in our last newsletter here) was granted a bond by the Immigration Judge over DHS’ objection because the judge understood that the young woman only presented a fake birth certificate as a result of the smuggler telling her that she needed to pretend to be a minor to get protection.

Separately, we got an Eritrean client released on an Order of Supervision. He had been granted Withholding of Removal by an Immigration Judge but ICE was continuing to detain him in an effort to remove him to Sudan, where he had lived undocumented for many years and had been persecuted for religious reasons. He is now happily living at an immigration shelter.

Lastly, we assisted an asylum seeker successfully pass their credible fear interview, after which ICE granted him a $1,500 bond, the lowest amount possible. He released and home for the holidays.

November 2018

Congratulations and Thank You to Our Pro Bonos

Pro bono lawyers from DLA Piper successfully defended a Yemeni man who was granted asylum in May but forced to remain in detention another six months while the government sought to take away his asylum. Special thanks to Katie Jahnke, Michael Massiatte, and John Lloyde, as well as the CLINIC team for all their work.

DLA Piper pro bono lawyers won an appeal for a Sudanese Darfur genocide survivor. The government was trying to reverse the Immigration Judge’s decision but, with the help of DLA Piper, the asylee was able to keep his protection. He spent over a year in detention fighting his case and has now been released. Special thanks to Emily Johnson, Laura Sixkiller, and Sarah Stanton, as well as the CLINIC team.

The Migrant Center works on the ground to identify strong cases and connect asylum seekers with the legal representation they need to succeed. We provide on the ground support to the pro bono lawyers we work with as needed.

Separately, we would like to give a shout out to the Cuny Law School Immigration Clinic who accepted the case of a former Bengali client granted asylum by the Immigration Judge but then whose his green card application was delayed by USCIS for over two years without clear reason. They successfully litigating a federal mandamus request and he received his green card approval just before Thanksgiving. Thank you for making this possible!

October 2018

Luz is Released

Luz was finally released and reunited with her son in New York. Luz underwent months of family separation and medical hardship before she contacted the Migrant Center and we were able to connect her with an independent doctor, community advocates, and a low bono lawyer. We extend our profound thanks to Julia, Kate, Dionne, Ruby and everyone else who helped Luz for all their tireless work on this case. Not only does it take boots on the ground visiting asylum seekers in detention. It truly takes a community.

September 2018

Protection Granted to Eritrean Man

Mr. M., a persecuted Pentacostal Christian, was granted protection by the Immigration Judge. The Eritrean government only allows for four religions to practices openly so Mr. M and his family participated in an underground, secret church. When the Eritrean government found out about the church they broke into a service and beat and arrested its members. Mr. M, a teenager at the time, was hospitalized. The Migrant Center assisted him in preparing his declaration in English, taking photos of his injuries (permission must be obtained from ICE to bring a camera into the facility), gave him information on gathering evidence, and prepared him for his final hearing.

August 2018

Guatemalan Teacher Wins Asylum
The Migrant Center won asylum for a Guatemalan teacher and activist who was persecuted for standing up to the corrupt practices of politicians in his community. He will now be able to petition for his wife and three children who, once reunited, will live with him in San Antonio.

Darfuri Genocide Survivor Wins UN Protection
The Migrant Center won protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture for a survivor of the Sudanese government’s genocide against Darfuris, escaping Janjaweed attack on his village that killed his father and separated him from his mother and all of his siblings but one. When his remaining sibling became politically active, our client was detained and tortured by the government for information. DHS is appealing and refusing to release him from detention even though they previous said he could leave on payment of a 7,500 bond [which he does not have].

Father Reunited with Children
A father of two young children and long-term resident of south Texas was release on bond with the help of the Migrant Center. He can now continue his case from outside detention while being with his family.

July 2018

Father from El Salvador Released and Reunited with Son
We successfully obtained the release of a father and minor son who had been forcibly separated by immigration and held in different facilities, overcoming the fact that our client had three prior deportations by successfully arguing that, in passing his protection interview and proving that he has a significant possibility of winning his case, he has shown that he is not a flight risk. They are now reunited and living with family in Maryland.

Honduran Mom and Three Minor Children Released and Reunited
Our client Luz was released from detention and reunited with her three minor children, who were being held separately in an unaccompanied minors shelter in San Antonio. ”I’m still trying to absorb everything,” she told us, as she showed us her immigration paperwork telling her that she needs to report back to ICE in one week. ”Thank you so much for all your support,” she added, while we watched her children ran around the Catholic Charities reception center getting clothes and toys with smiles on their faces. Her and her three minor children were separated and detained by immigration for over two months.

Eritrean Man Wins Protection under the UN Convention Against Torture
Pro Bono attorney Neil Cohen worked with the Migrant Center team to win protection for an Eritrean man who fled indefinite military servitude and torture for speaking out against the government’s policies. He was tied up in an infamous stress position for over 15 hours as a public message to others who might consider defying the regime. He was later thrown in prison and forced to engage in hard labor for two years.

June 2018

Yemeni Man Wins Asylum

Yemeni man wins asylum after the Migrant Center helps him prepare for court. Court preparation includes explaining trial rights and procedure, discussing how to effectively communicate when working with an interpreter to present testimony, practicing sample questions, and reviewing legal requirements.

May 2018

Asylum Office Reverses Negative Interview Results
After the Migrant Center presented new evidence and legal argument to the Asylum Office, they agreed to change their decision and give our Cuban client a chance to present her political opinion asylum case to a judge. The Immigration Judge had already signed off on the initial negative credible fear interview results and she was scheduled for imminent deportation.

Judge Grants Bond to Austin Man
The Immigration Judge granted bond to our client, a long-time Austin resident from Honduras who was suffering severe stomach pain and anxiety in detention. He has now been able to reunite with his family and will be able to pursue his asylum case from outside detention.

NTA Issued in Split Family Case
A Guatemalan father of three girls who was forcibly separated from them by CPB was recently issued a Notice To Appear placing him in removal proceedings after the Migrant Center reached out to the Asylum Office about the due process problems involved in keeping the family separated. As a result, he can now pursue an asylum case and seek his release from detention to be with his daughters.

Transgender Woman Wins Protection
The Migrant Center helped a transgender woman from Honduras win protection in the U.S. In addition to facing years of discrimination and harassment, she was recently targeted by the gangs for forced conversion / punishing by rape. Thank you to those who supported her case.

April 2018

Wimberley Mom Released
The Migrant Center represented Maria Garcia, a mom of two, who was granted a bond by the Immigration Judge, allowing her to return to her family and friends in Wimberley. We would like to thank all those in the community who supported her and her family during the difficult five weeks she spent in detention, including Mano Amiga, Wimberley Indivisible, and Dream Activist.

Guatemalan Man Reunified with Family
The Migrant Center obtained a parole bond for a Guatemalan man who was forcibly separated from his wife and young child by immigration. He has now reunited with them in Maryland.

Asylum Seeking Mother Granted Bond
The Migrant Center represented a Honduran mother of a 2-year-old child in obtaining a bond from the Immigration Judge. She is now able to join her child and her mother and siblings in the United States while she pursues her asylum case.

March 2018

Congolese Man Wins Asylum
The Migrant Center helped a man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo win asylum. He was brutally tortured by the government for supporting an opposition political party. He attended an evidence prep workshop and a court prep workshop. We were also able to find him a pro bono translator who helped put his documents in English for the court.

February 2018

Ethiopian Man Wins Asylum
The Migrant Center won asylum for an Ethiopian man who was tortured by his government based on false accusations of involvement with an independence rebel group solely because of his ethnicity and family relationship. The Migrant Center won his case after four years of litigation before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. We would like to thank all our partners in this case, including ProBAR, RAICES, NIJC, and the law firm of Gibson Dunn. In the words of the asylum seeker, ”Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I’m really happy.”

Wimberley Man Released
The Migrant Center obtained a 1,500 bond, the lowest amount possible, for a Wimberley community member, husband and father of three children, and grandfather of a 2 ½ year old U.S. citizen. We would like to thank the community for all their support, including the team at Mano Amiga, Dream Activist, and Wimberley Indivisible.

January 2018

Father of Five Avoids Deportation
The Migrant Center helped a father of five get taken out of Expedited Removal, a legal process that would have seen him quickly deported to Mexico, based on his over 10 years living in the United States and clean criminal record. He now has the right to speak with an Immigration Judge and request Cancellation of Removal, giving him a chance at a green card. He has one US citizen child, a legal permanent resident child, and several children who have DACA. He was also granted a bond and has now returned home and is living with his family while he pursues his case.

December 2017

The Migrant Center helps two men – one from Gambia and one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo – win asylum pro se. They won their cases after attending evidence and court prep workshops hosted by the Migrant Center, receiving human rights evidence packets to support their cases, and meeting one-on-one with a Migrant Center lawyer to prepare for their final court hearing. In the words of one of the men, ‘‘thank you for everything’’.

November 2017

The Migrant Center obtained release for an asylum seeker who was forcibly separated from his wife. Although his wife remains detained at Hutto, he has been able to visit her with the help of the staff at Casa Marianella, an immigrant shelter in Austin where he is staying.

October 2017

The Migrant Center obtained release for an asylum seeker with medical concerns, who fainted twice while in detention, always felt dizzy, and often had to walk with his hand along the wall or sit down to steady himself. Other detainees would see him shake and offer to carry his food tray. On Monday October 25th he arrived at his family’s home in New Jersey.

September 2017

The Migrant Center convinced an Immigration Judge to reconsider his denial of asylum, thereby vacating his deportation order and reopening removal proceedings. Amadou (name changed to protect client confidentiality) fled political and ethnic persecution at the hands of the Guinean government.

July 2017

The Migrant Center, in collaboration with RAICES, won asylum for a Guatemalan woman and her children. Maria (name changed to protect client confidentiality) and her children fled more than 12 years of domestic violence after the Guatemalan police and court system repetitively failed to protect her and her children.