We are so proud to announce that our client Gerson is going UC Berkeley on a full ride! 3 years ago he came to the US from El Salvador as an unaccompanied minor. In April 2019 our attorneys were able to secure his asylum status. Join us in congratulating him for his hard work
“When I started high school in the U.S, terms like college or higher education did not cross my mind at any point. Learning English was challenging under situations where you tend to lose your thoughts and motivation. - ImmDef client Gerson (Thread 2/6)
"When I got into UC Berkeley, I recognized all the elements- people, organizations, and experiences that contributed to that accomplishment. The desire for social justice is something that inspires me to help my community..." - ImmDef client Gerson (Thread 3/6)
"..and therefore, the reason for my hard work. The feeling of knowing that I will be attending college with a full ride scholarship after all the things that have happened, is indescribable." - ImmDef client Gerson (Thread 4/6)
"Right now, I am beyond grateful and motivated to become someone who will contribute to our society and for the next generations. Beginnings are not always easy, it is up to us to define the journey that will determine our personal growth." - ImmDef client Gerson (Thread 5/6)
"I believe we all can achieve great things and create change regardless of where we come from. ” - ImmDef client Gerson heading on a full ride to @UCBerkeley this fall. (Thread 6/6)
Gerson has been an advocate for immigrant youth as he forged his own path from El Salvador to @UCBerkeley. Listen to one of his speeches last year as he tells his story of escaping gang violence in his home country. #RestoreAsylumNow
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While SCOTUS has forfeited the power of the judiciary & submitted to Trump’s unlawfulness, we will not cede our power. This is a moment to double down on fighting for our communities and the most vulnerable among us, plant our feet on the right side of history, and forge ahead.🧵
Sotomayor dissented, “By forging ahead and granting relief to the Government anyway, this Court endorses the radical proposition that the President is harmed, irreparably, whenever he cannot do something he wants to do, even if what he wants to do is break the law."
SCOTUS majority has simply played along w/ Trump’s circumvention of the Constitution. The Court did not rule on the merits of Trump's executive action but shifted the responsibility of enforcing birthright citizenship protections onto vulnerable individuals in district court.
Earlier today the media released a list that names the people from Venezuela that were forcibly removed by the United States to an El Salvador mega-prison.
Our client, Andry, was one of them. @L_Toczylowski joined @maddow 👇
Andry is a human being. He is son, a brother, and a beloved community member. Andry is a young professional and an accomplished makeup artist. He is a gay man, who is kind, funny, and has humanitarian aspirations.
@L_Toczylowski
It doesn't justify this treatment but our client has no criminal history & entered the U.S. lawfully. Andry is so many things. One thing he is not is a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, but that didn't stop the Trump admin from disappearing him.
Asylum seekers in MPP only have from 10 to 12 to potentially meet w/ lawyers on their day in court. That is if they can find a lawyer willing to represent them while being forced to remain in Tijuana, one of the most dangerous cities in the world. #DueProcess#AccessToCounsel
On the first day of MPP court in San Diego since the Biden administration decided to resume the deadly program, there are two judges hearing 7 cases. In the days and weeks ahead these numbers will sadly increase as more and more human beings are placed into MPP.
Today we’re proud to announce the official launch of the #WelcomeWithDignity campaign. We’re working with hundreds of advocates and organizations to say it loud and clear: we’re ready for a just asylum system that puts compassion and dignity first.
➡️welcomewithdignity.org
The #WelcomewithDignity campaign is committed to transforming the way the U.S. receives and protects people who survived violence and left behind their homes. Together, w/our border orgs, we can build a more just and truly humane asylum system. Join us: bit.ly/WelcomeWithDig…
This is Bryan. After 3 yrs of separation from his mom due to Trump’s zero tolerance policy, he will finally reunite w/her this week. Despite such a traumatic experience, Bryan is fighting back by joining #TeamImmDef to help children like him know their rights.
Thank you to @jacobsoboroff for joining us in celebrating this bittersweet moment. ImmDef met Bryan while he was in an ORR shelter. Since then he was reunited with siblings. This week his family becomes whole again.
“I didn’t have a chance to say anything. We were shocked, crying and didn’t expect to be separated from each other. That was the last time I saw my mom in person.” - ImmDef client Bryan, becomes one of the first children to reunite w/mother under Biden’s Task Force this week.
Many of the children entering these EIS were forced to flee their home countries due to severe violence, persecution, natural disaster, & some may have been separated from parents or family members due to the Biden Admin's continued implementation of the unjust Title 42 policy. 2
While the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 requires that children be transferred from CBP custody into ORR facilities within 72 hours, ImmDef staff recently witnessed a child still in CBP custody after 26 days & allowed only 2 showers in that time. 3