September 10, 2011—L-P of Bangladesh was granted Legal Permanent Resident status by an Immigration Judge based on her marriage to a United States citizen. Student-Attorney Lauren Dawson represented her at her Individual hearing. L-P and other family members were placed in removal proceedings in 2005 and ordered removed in absentia because a previous immigration attorney mishandled their case. The Clinic moved to rescind the removal order, which was granted, and filed for adjustment of status based on L-P’s marriage. At the hearing, the Immigration Judge told Ms. Dawson he was impressed with the professional quality of her pre-trial filing. He granted L-P’s application and the ICE trial attorney waived appeal.
May 16, 2011—R-M-M, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was granted asylum by the Arlington Asylum Office. On May 2, 2011, Lesley Dickson represented R-M-M in his affirmative asylum interview. R-M-M, a medical doctor, was the head of obstetrics and gynecology at his local hospital. The hospital was located in a Red Zone, an area of widespread violence between the government forces and the rebels of the FDLR. In the course of his work R-M-M treated many victims of gunshots, battery, and rape, and on a typical day he treated 15-20 persons. One day he was summoned to the local military post by the colonel, who accused him and his colleagues of being obstacles to peace because they protected and treated the rebels and their women, and he threatened their lives. The colonel ordered the soldiers to torture and beat R-M-M after he responded that he was only doing his duty as a doctor. Two of R-M-M's colleagues, a priest and a nun, who also worked with rape victims, were subsequently murdered by the government. These murders and the fact that an arrest warrant was issued for him caused R-M-M to flee his country. The Clinic is now assisting R-M-M in bringing his family to the United States, all of whom were forced into hiding after R-M-M fled the DRC.
May 5, 2011—B-G of Ethiopia was granted asylum by an Immigration Judge. Student-Attorney José Pittí prepared B-G's case in two months and represented him at his Individual hearing. B-G was peacefully and publicly opposed to the policies of the Ethiopian government and as a result he was arrested, handcuffed and beaten unconscious. He was fed only bread and tea during his detention in filthy conditions. In order to win his release, B-G signed a document renouncing further political activity although doing so was contrary to his principles. Soon after his release he came to the U.S. The Immigration Judge told Mr. Pittí that his case was won in the preparation and that he was as good as any attorney who has appeared before him. Mr. Pittí subsequently filed petitions for B-G's wife and two children to join him in the United States. USCIS granted the petitions in July of 2011.
April 18, 2011—The Arlington Asylum Office granted H-M, from Colombia, asylum. On February 9, 2011, student-attorney Erica Rodríguez represented H-M in an affirmative asylum interview. H-M testified that the FARC, a terrorist group, had murdered several of his family members and taken possession of his family's farm. H-M had filed complaints with the Colombian authorities seeking prosecution of the killers and recovery of his property. This triggered a late-night visit from the FARC in which H-M barely escaped being murdered. H-M left for the US soon after. In July of 2011, the Clinic filed petitions for H-M’s wife and two children to join him in the United States.
April 13, 2011—A U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudications officer removed the condition on J-A's lawful permanent residence (LPR). J-A, who is from Sierra Leone, is now eligible to naturalize. J-A was represented by student-attorney Keren Sohahong-Kombet. J-A obtained her LPR status through her US citizen husband. The status was conditional (and not final) because there was less than two years between the date of their marriage and the date of her LPR grant. In a timely fashion, but pro se, J-A filed a petition and fee to remove the condition but, unfortunately, her check bounced. USCIS denied the petition and placed J-A in removal proceedings. After J-A retained the Clinic's representation, the Immigration Judge terminated removal proceedings and the matter was remanded to CIS. Ms. Sohahong-Kombet submitted evidence that the bounced check was a mistake along with proof of the bona fide nature of the marriage which prompted the officer's comment that there was "so much evidence in this case." After a fifteen minute pro forma interview, the officer granted the removal of conditions petition.
March 11, 2011—An Immigration Judge granted the asylum application of W-A of Ethiopia. W-A was represented in her Individual hearing by student-attorney Keren Sohahong-Kombet. W-A owned a coffee shop in her hometown and was not involved in politics. Government forces continuously harassed her because of her political neutrality and she was forced to flee to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. While there, government officials kidnapped and raped her and threatened to publicize the rape. W-A then fled to the United States. Her son, born as a result of the rape, is a U.S. citizen and is almost two years of age. The IJ complimented Ms. Sohahong-Kombet on the quality of her pretrial filing and thanked her and GW for taking on the case. As he was leaving the bench the IJ turned to everyone in the courtroom and said, "After 24 years sitting in this chair it's still a blessing to grant cases like this."
February 3, 2011—Student-Attorney Lesley Dickson won a grant of NACARA cancellation of removal for her El Salvadoran client, O-G, from an Immigration Judge. O-G fled the civil war in El Salvador and entered the U.S. in March of 1989 and had been out of status since that date. Ms. Dickson filed a 493 page pretrial filing and prepared O-G, his wife, and his oldest son, who is autistic, to testify. However, at the hearing the ICE trial attorney told Ms. Dickson that the case could be resolved if she agreed to let her client be cross-examined for ten minutes to confirm his statutory eligibility for relief. At the conclusion of cross the trial attorney stated that she had no objection to a grant of relief. O-G is now a Legal Permanent Resident. He works seven days a week at various jobs and when his LPR wife goes to work, he cooks, cleans, and cares for their three U.S. citizen children. A few weeks later, O-G and his family came to GW to meet with Ms. Dickson to tell her thank you for her work. O-G's ten-year-old son hugged her and said "thank you for saving my dad." Ms. Dickson filed a Naturalization application for O-G's wife in April of 2011.
September 20, 2010—S-S from Ethiopia was granted asylum by an Immigration Judge. He was represented in his Individual hearing by student-attorney Michelle Kobler. S-S is a member of the Baha’i faith. In Ethiopia, he was consistently recruited for membership by the ruling government party and refused because of his religious beliefs. Government forces arrested and detained S-S for days, claiming he was a member of an opposition party because he refused to join their ranks. He was interrogated daily and beaten and upon release, forced to sign a document stating he would stop leading anti-government activities and check in weakly with government police officers. He eventually fled to the United States. At S-S’s hearing before the Immigration Judge, Ms. Kobler conducted direct examination for over an hour and offered a closing statement. After granting S-S asylum, the ICE trial attorney waived appeal. Student-Attorney Jason Boyd filed an application for S-S to adjust to Legal Permanent Resident status in September of 2011.
November 30, 2010—A-S-R of Mexico was granted Non-LPR Cancellation of Removal by an Immigration Judge. She was represented in her Individual hearing by student-attorney Claire Kelly and Rachael Petterson, Esq. A-S-R’s fourteen-year-old son testified at his mother’s hearing that he wanted to be a Marine, a pro football player, a boxer, and a mechanic if his mother was allowed to remain lawfully and permanently in the United States. He further testified that if his mother was ordered to leave the U.S., he would accompany her to México, which he has never visited, so he could protect her. At the conclusion of the two-hour hearing the Immigration granted his mother's application which, by operation of law, adjusted her status to lawful permanent residence.
December 2, 2010—USCIS granted M-S-L’s four children derivative asylee status. M-S-L, from El Salvador, was granted asylum by an Immigration Judge in a written decision in December of 2009. Student-Attorney Rachael Petterson represented M-S-L in her Individual hearing in September of 2009, after which the Immigration Judge issued a written decision granting her asylum. M-S-L’s asylum claim was based on the severe abuse she endured at the hands of her domestic partner for over twenty years. Ms. Petterson filed petitions for M-S-L’s children, who were also abused by M-S-L’s domestic partner. One of M-S-L’s sons, who is nineteen-years-old, is currently living in the United States with his mother. He works at night and attends high school during the day, where he is learning to speak English. M-S-L is currently awaiting the arrival of her three other children from El Salvador.