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A Volunteer’s Week in Dilley

January 19, 2019

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. ASAP at Yale member, Hannah Duncan, traveled to the Mexico-U.S. border to provide assistance to families at the SouthTexas Family Residential Center.

Louis was becoming restless. He ripped up fistfuls of paper from my notepad, tearing them into smaller and smaller pieces, which he cast aside on the floor. He looked up, mucus dripping from his nose and onto his sweatshirt, and asked if we could go see his mother. I gathered the shreds of yellow paper and threw them into the trash can, hoping that the guards did not notice our growing pile. I promised Louis that we would return to his mother as soon as she was off the phone, and I wiped his nose with paper towel I had snuck from the visitor’s bathroom.

Louis is three years old and arrived at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas with his mother, Carla*, in December. In her home country, Carla had received death threats from a gang who demanded that she pay an exorbitant amount of money. Unwilling to acquiesce to the gang’s demands, Carla knew that she and Louis faced immense danger, and she decided to take a harrowing journey from Guatemala to the United States. As soon as the family crossed the border into Southern Texas, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials arrested Carla and Louis. They were soon transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and ordered to remain at the South Texas Family Detention Center.

While Louis and I sit on the floor with scraps of paper, Carla is on the phone with her husband preparing for a credible fear interview the next day. If she convinces the asylum officer that she is unable to return to Guatemala without fear of persecution based on a protected ground, then she and Louis can leave the detention center. If, however, the asylum officer decides that her fear is not credible, or that the reasons for her fear do not fall under U.S. asylum law, then both she and Louis will be deported back to danger.

As a student member of Yale Law School’s chapter of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), I was familiar with issues facing asylum seekers, but was not sure what to expect when I applied to go on ASAP’s trip to volunteer with the Dilley Pro Bono Project. No amount of legal training could have adequately prepared me for the trauma induced by detention. From 7:30am-7:30pm every day the other volunteers and I prepare detained women for their interviews and next steps in the application process for asylum seekers. All of our clients are mothers. Their children play in the visiting room while we review their mothers’ documents and ask them to recount their most painful experiences. The detained women and their children wear matching sweatshirts and sneakers. They are not allowed to use the same bathrooms as the prison guards and volunteers. Signs warning about exposure to chickenpox hang from every door and the room is filled with sounds of sneezing.

Louis has started coughing and asks again when we can return to his mother. Earlier that morning Carla warned me that her son suffers from asthma and that his condition deteriorated over the course of their journey. Louis asks for water and I am unsure of what to do. It is rumored that fracking has contaminated Dilley’s tap water and the detention center’s employees all drink bottled water. The detained families are not permitted to drink bottled water unless they can afford to purchase it themselves. Instead, they drink tap water from paper cones in the visiting area. Louis’s cough becomes more alarming and I bring him a paper cone.

One of the other legal volunteers peers out from Carla’s room and tells me that Louis and I can return. Carla is no longer on the phone with her husband and the other volunteer is reviewing the elements of her case. We smile encouragingly at Carla, but it’s not looking good. In order to prove her case for asylum, Carla must explain why she is unable to relocate within Guatemala and why she cannot trust the police to protect her. Carla’s case would be stronger if she had reported the threatening phone call to the police or if she had moved to another city in Guatemala. Instead, after receiving the call, Carla took the chip out of her phone and immediately fled the country. The gang members told her if she reported the threat to the police, they would kill her and Louis immediately. They knew her name and her son’s name. They knew where she lived. She remembered her neighbor’s attempt to relocate after receiving a similar threat. He moved to a town nearly 10 hours away, but the gang found him and cut off his head.

Louis has fallen asleep in his mother’s arms. It is late and we have worked with Carla for over eight hours. The volunteers will be leaving soon and we assure her that we will return tomorrow morning before her mid-day interview. Carla nods and tries to smile, but it is clear that she is exhausted. While on the phone with her husband, she discovered for the first time that the gang had been threatening him with death for years. He never told Carla because he hoped it would protect her. When her husband stopped making payments, the gang members targeted Carla and Louis instead.

The next morning Carla left for her interview and Louis waited in one of the visiting rooms, still coughing. When she returned after an hour, the transcript of her interview made the Dilley Pro Bono legal team nervous. During the interview, the asylum officer asked her if the gang had threatened many others in her community or if the gang had targeted her specifically. Carla answered honestly: they threaten everyone and have demanded payments from each of her neighbors. She did not mention her husband’s story because she did not think it was relevant— why would her fear be any less credible if the gang was interested in collecting money from so many others?

Unfortunately, the laws governing asylum require more specific answers. In order to qualify, applicants must show that they fear persecution because of immutable protected characteristics or ties to a particular social group. Carla’s relationship to her husband provided her with her strongest claim. She should have said that the gang was targeting her family in particular, and that her marriage to him was the gang’s motive for persecuting her son. She should have shared her husband’s secrets and while she was at it, explained that she had experienced domestic abuse from her father and was stalked as a teenager as well. Though all these things are traumatic to relive, the law requires that applicants remember and relay their worst experiences. In order to convince an asylum officer that she has at least a 10% chance of proving her case, Carla will need to share every detail that might be relevant to her case. It is a complex area of law and the smallest bit of information could make the difference between Carla’s freedom and the fate of her family.

Upon seeing his mother, Louis jumped into her arms, completely unaware of the journey ahead as the two fight for their fair day in court. For the moment, they returned to a bunkhouse they shared with a few other families to sleep.

*Pseudonyms have been used to protect the identities of the clients.

Guest post by Hannah Duncan

UNA SEMANA DE VOLUNTARIADO EN DILLEY

19 de enero de 2019

ASAP con una estudiante de Yale, Hannah Duncan, que viajó a la frontera México-EE.UU para brindarles asistencia a familias en el Centro Residencial para familias del Sur de Texas.  

Louis se estaba poniendo inquieto. Arrancaba manojos de papel de mi anotador y los convertía en pedacitos cada vez más pequeños que iba poniendo en un costado del piso. Miró para arriba, los mocos le goteaban de la nariz y aterrizaban en su camiseta, y me preguntó si podía ir a ver a su madre. Tomé los pedacitos de papel amarillo y los arrojé en el tacho de basura con la esperanza de que los guardias no hayan notado nuestro creciente montículo. Le prometí a Louis que podía volver con su mamá tan pronto ella colgara el teléfono y le limpié la nariz con una toalla de papel que había sacado del baño de visitantes. 

Louis tiene tres años y llegó al Centro Residencial para familias del Sur de Texas en Dilley, Texas, con su mamá, Carla*, en diciembre. En su país de origen, Carla había recibido amenazas de muerte de una pandilla que demandaba que pagara una cantidad exorbitante de dinero. Como se rehusaba a ceder a las demandas de la pandilla, Carla sabía que ella y Louis enfrentaban un peligro inmenso y decidió tomar el espeluznante camino de Guatemala a los Estados Unidos. Tan pronto la familia cruzó la frontera al Sur de Texas, oficiales de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos (CBP, por sus siglas en inglés) arrestaron a Carla y Louis. Pronto los transfirieron bajo la custodia del Organismo de Inmigración y Aduanas de los Estados Unidos (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) y se les ordenó permanecer en el Centro de Detención Familiar del Sur de Texas. 

Mientras Louis y yo nos sentamos en el piso con deshechos de papel, Carla está al teléfono con su esposo preparándose para una entrevista de temor creíble al día siguiente. Si convence a los funcionarios de asilo de que no puede volver a Guatemala sin miedo a la persecución sobre la base de un fundamento protegido, ella y Louis podrán salir del centro de detención. Si, sin embargo, el funcionario de asilo decide que su temor no es creíble, o que las razones para su temor no encajan en la ley de asilo de los EE. UU., tanto ella como Louis serán deportados y enviados al peligro. 

Como estudiante del capítulo del Proyecto de Apoyo para Solicitantes de Asilo (o ASAP por sus siglas en inglés) de la Facultad de Derecho de Yale, estaba familiarizada con los problemas que enfrentan los solicitantes de asilo, pero no estaba segura de qué me esperaría cuando me postulé para ir al viaje de ASAP como voluntaria con el Proyecto Pro Bono de Dilley. No hay cantidad de formación en leyes que me haya podido preparar adecuadamente para el trauma causado por la detención. De las 7:30 am a las 7.30 pm todos los días los otros voluntarios y yo preparamos a mujeres detenidas para sus entrevistas y próximos pasos en el proceso de postulación para solicitantes de asilo. Todas nuestras clientas son madres. Sus hijos juegan en el salón de visitas mientras revisamos los documentos de sus madres y les pedimos que relaten sus experiencias más dolorosas. Las mujeres detenidas y sus hijos usan camisetas y zapatos deportivos haciendo juego. No tienen permitido usar los mismos baños que los guardias de prisión y los voluntarios. Cuelgan carteles sobre la exposición a la varicela en todas las puertas y la sala está llena de sonidos de estornudo.

Louis ha comenzado a toser y vuelve a preguntar cuándo puede volver con su mamá. Temprano en la mañana, Carla me había advertido que su hijo padece asma y que su enfermedad empeoró durante el viaje. Louis pide agua y ya no sé qué hacer. Se rumorea que el fracking ha contaminado el agua corriente de Dilley y todos los empleados del Centro de Detención toman agua embotellada. Las familias detenidas no tienen permitido tomar agua embotellada a menos que puedan pagarla por sus propios medios. Así que toman agua de la llave con conos de papel en el área de visitas. La tos de Louis se pone más alarmante y le traigo un cono de papel.

Otro de los voluntarios de asistencia legal se asoma de la habitación de Carla y me dice que Louis y yo podemos entrar. Carla ya no está al teléfono con su esposo y el otro voluntario está revisando los elementos de su caso. Le damos una sonrisa de ánimo a Carla, pero no hay muchas esperanzas. Para poder probar su caso de asilo, Carla tiene que explicar por qué no puede reubicarse dentro de Guatemala y por qué no puede confiar en la policía para que la proteja. El caso de Carla sería más contundente si hubiese denunciado la llamada de amenazas ante la policía o si se hubiese mudado a otra ciudad en Guatemala. Pero, luego de recibir la llamada, Carla sacó el chip de su teléfono y huyó de inmediato del país. Los miembros de la pandilla le dijeron que si denunciaba la amenaza ante la policía, iban a matarla a ella y a Louis de inmediato. Sabían su nombre y el de su hijo. Sabían dónde vivía. Ella recordó el intento de su vecino de mudarse luego de recibir una amenaza similar. Se mudó a una ciudad a diez horas, pero la pandilla lo encontró y lo decapitó. 

Louis se ha dormido en los brazos de su madre. Es tarde y ya llevamos más de ocho horas de trabajo con Carla. Los voluntarios se irán pronto y le aseguramos que volveríamos la mañana siguiente antes de su entrevista de mediodía. Carla asiente con la cabeza y trata de sonreír, pero está claro que está exhausta. Hablando por teléfono con su marido, se enteró de que lo habían estado amenazando de muerte por años. Él nunca se lo había dicho a Carla porque tenía la esperanza de poder protegerla. Cuando su esposo dejó de pagar, los miembros de la pandilla comenzaron a enfocarse en Carla y Louis. 

La mañana siguiente, Carla fue a su entrevista y Louis esperó en una de las salas de visita, todavía tosiendo.  Cuando volvió luego de una hora, la transcripción de su entrevista puso nervioso al equipo de asesoría legal pro bono de Dilley. Durante la entrevista, el funcionario de asilo le preguntó si la pandilla había amenazado a muchas otras personas de su comunidad o si la pandilla se había concentrado en ella específicamente. Carla respondió con honestidad: amenazaban a todos y habían exigido pagos de cada uno de sus vecinos. No mencionó la historia de su esposo porque no pensó que fuera relevante… ¿Por qué sería menos creíble su temor si la pandilla estaba interesada en colectar dinero de tantos otros? 

Lamentablemente, las leyes que rigen el asilo requieren de respuestas más específicas. Para poder calificar, los solicitantes deben mostrar que temen persecución por características inmutablemente protegidas o lazos a un grupo social particular. La relación de Carla con su esposo le concedía una solicitud más robusta. Debería haber dicho que la pandilla tenía a su familia en la mira y que su matrimonio con él era el motivo para que persiguieran a su hijo. Debería haber compartido los secretos de su marido cuando estaba declarando, explicado que había sufrido abuso doméstico de su padre y que la acechaban de adolescente también. Aunque sea traumático revivir todas estas cosas, la ley requiere que los solicitantes recuerden y transmitan sus peores experiencias. Para poder convencer a un funcionario de asilo de que tiene al menos un 10% de posibilidades de probar su caso, Carla necesita contar cada detalle que podría ser relevante para su caso. Es un área compleja de la ley y una mínima porción de información pueden hacer la diferencia entre la libertad de Carla y el destino de su familia. 

Al ver a su mamá, Louis saltó a sus brazos, completamente inconsciente del camino que les esperaba en la lucha por su día justo en la Corte. Por ahora, se fueron a dormir a los dormitorios que comparten con otras familias. 

* Hemos usado pseudónimos para proteger las identidades de los clientes. 

Autora invitada: Hannah Duncan


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ASAP Staff Retreat in Chicago

Conchita Cruz   April 3, 2019

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The ASAP team convened in Chicago last week for an action-packed staff retreat. After a few in-person meetings…
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IRAP Litigation Partnership

Dorothy Tegeler   March 7, 2019

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. ASAP and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) are excited to announce our partnership to bring litigation on…
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ASAP Staff Spotlight: William

Conchita Cruz   March 6, 2019

Communications and Development Associate William Montgomery says: “I feel so lucky to be a part of this team and to…
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ASAP Featured in Legal Journal

Dorothy Tegeler   March 5, 2019

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is proud to be featured in Professor Lindsay Harris’s recent article in…
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Victory in Legal ER

Dorothy Tegeler   February 28, 2019

  Zulema accessed emergency legal aid and averted deportation for herself and her family. We met Zulema through our online community…
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ASAP Partner Spotlight: MSHRP

Dorothy Tegeler   January 23, 2019

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is proud to partner with the Mount Sinai Human Rights Program (MSHRP),…
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A Volunteer’s Week in Dilley

Dorothy Tegeler   January 19, 2019

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. ASAP at Yale member, Hannah Duncan, traveled to the Mexico-U.S. border to provide assistance to families at the…
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Deportation Reversed for Family

Dorothy Tegeler   January 18, 2019

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. After working with the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) to successfully reverse her deportation order, Maria shared: “I…
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ASAP’s Second Annual Report

Conchita Cruz   November 29, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) has released our second Annual Report! ASAP’s online community member, Libia shared:…
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ASAP Condemns New Border Rule

Dorothy Tegeler   November 9, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) condemns the new interim final rule limiting the ways families fleeing violence…
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Co-Founder Grows Policy Work

Swapna Ready   October 15, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. We are excited to announce the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) co-founder Conchita Cruz has received a two-year…
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After Reunification, Fight Continues

Dorothy Tegeler   October 14, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Javier, an asylum-seeking father recently reunited with his child, said, “I was separated from my son who is seven…
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ASAP Supporters Take Action

Dorothy Tegeler   October 12, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Two weeks ago, we called on our supporters to take a stand against the inhumane detention of immigrant…
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ASAP Condemns Detention of Children

Dorothy Tegeler   September 17, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Last week the Trump administration proposed new regulations that would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to…
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A Summer Fighting for Families

Dorothy Tegeler   August 30, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Through a difficult summer filled with heart-wrenching news and attacks against asylum seekers, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project…
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Victory for Mother and Daughter

Dorothy Tegeler   August 17, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. After receiving news of a victory in her case, Libia shared her reflections about navigating the immigration system:…
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New Guide for Border Advocates

Swapna Ready   July 30, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Access to an attorney while in detention could mean life or death for asylum-seeking families fleeing unspeakable violence….
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ASAP is Hiring

Dorothy Tegeler   July 26, 2018

The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is now hiring a Development Associate and an Immigration Staff Attorney! ASAP serves over 2,800…
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ASAP Fights for Families

Dorothy Tegeler   June 29, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has heightened attacks on asylum seekers and their families. In an effort…
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ASAP Helps Client Find New Beginning

Dorothy Tegeler   June 27, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. After fighting to reverse her deportation order, our client Andrea shared this message: “I am happy and grateful…
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ASAP Co-Founders Speak Out

Swapna Ready   June 2, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. In response to the Trump administration’s recent policy changes, ASAP’s staff have spoken out on various publications and…
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ASAP Receives Outpouring of Support

Dorothy Tegeler   June 1, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. In recent weeks, ASAP has been deeply grateful for the major outpouring of support. Thousands have donated, joined…
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ASAP Fellowship Sponsorship

Dorothy Tegeler   May 28, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) at the Urban Justice Center seeks to sponsor law students and recent…
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ASAP Issues Policy Report

Dorothy Tegeler   May 22, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Did you know that 85% of the more than 24,000 asylum-seeking families ordered deported from July 2014 to…
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Reflections from ASAP’s Interns

Swapna Ready   May 20, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Read on for our interns’ reflections from this past semester: Cindy Zhunio “Coming from a large undocumented community,…
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Mothers Build Strength in Community

Dorothy Tegeler   May 11, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Updated June 22, 2018 Our private online community is growing! The group has expanded by nearly 100 members…
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ASAP Welcomes New Staff

Dorothy Tegeler   April 10, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. We are excited to welcome Evelyn Núñez and Nicole Tan as the newest additions to the Asylum Seeker…
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Client Wins Challenging Appeal

Dorothy Tegeler   April 2, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Four months after refusing to grant Cristina’s appeal and reverse her deportation order, the Board of Immigration Appeals…
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ASAP Joins Greater Sum 2018 Cohort

Dorothy Tegeler   April 1, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is excited to announce that we are now members of The Greater…
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Diary from Baby Jail

Dorothy Tegeler   March 21, 2018

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Each year, law student volunteers from the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP)’s chapter at Yale Law School travel…
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ASAP’s First Annual Report

Dorothy Tegeler   December 6, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) has released our first ever Annual Report! ASAP client Sandra says, “As someone…
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ASAP Seeks An Immigration Paralegal

Swapna Ready   December 6, 2017

The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is looking for an immigration paralegal to join our team! The paralegal’s responsibilities will…
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Tribune Op-Ed: Sessions is Wrong

Dorothy Tegeler   December 1, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) board member Michelle Mendez and co-founder Swapna Reddy write in the Chicago Tribune:…
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#GivingTuesday Success

Swapna Ready   November 29, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is excited to announce that our #GivingTuesday campaign was a success! With…
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ASAP Wins J.M.K. Innovation Prize

Dorothy Tegeler   November 21, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) has been named one of ten winners of the 2017 J.M.K. Innovation…
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Emergency Motions to Reopen Project

Dorothy Tegeler   October 17, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is excited to announce a 96% win rate for our emergency motions…
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Raising Awareness in October

Dorothy Tegeler   October 16, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. October has been a busy month as our co-founders presented at events and trainings for: the American Bar…
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Client Fights Fraud, Inspires Others

Dorothy Tegeler   October 4, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP)’s client Luna fled to the United States after her siblings were murdered…
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Volunteer Profile: Joanne Lee

Dorothy Tegeler   October 1, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Volunteer Joanne Lee, Yale law student and Co-President of the YLS chapter of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project…
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ASAP Welcomes New Staff

Dorothy Tegeler   September 1, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. We are excited to have co-founders Dorothy Tegeler and Liz Willis officially join our staff! Dorothy is joining…
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Great Fundraising News

Dorothy Tegeler   July 6, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Thank you to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Conant Family Foundation, and Echoing Green for supporting our work and…
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Lawsuit Against ICE Moves Forward

Dorothy Tegeler   May 25, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP)’s client Suny Rodriguez sued the U.S. government for its mistreatment of her…
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Mother and Newborn Reunited

Dorothy Tegeler   May 14, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. A few months ago, a woman reached out to us through the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP)’s online…
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Asylum Win for North Carolina Family

Dorothy Tegeler   April 30, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Sandra and her father were mayoral candidates in Central America, when her father was murdered. After his murder,…
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Student Reflection from Detention

Dorothy Tegeler   March 20, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Guest Post by Iva Velickovic, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) Volunteer Last Thursday, I practiced counting to ten…
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Op-Ed: Deportation Could Mean Death

Dorothy Tegeler   March 9, 2017

ESPAÑOL ABAJO. Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) co-founders Conchita Cruz and Swapna Reddy published an op-ed in TIME highlighting the…
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