As the KBI–Florence Project Legal Fellow Program enters its third year, we are pleased to see its impact on the lives of asylum seekers we’ve served and their families, and have already begun to expand the program to accommodate more services and applicants. Legal information and advice are crucial for people to determine their options and prepare their cases. And legal representation can make all the difference in a case’s outcome. Funded on a year-to-year basis, the Legal Fellow Program has … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2019
Accompaniment in Court: The Legal Fellow Program
Two years ago, the KBI added to its direct aid, advocacy, and education programming by collaborating with the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project to create a Legal Fellow position dedicated to representing asylum seekers served by the KBI. The program has extended the reach of accompaniment, reinforced advocacy efforts, and saved lives. In recent years, the KBI has encountered increasing numbers of asylum seekers at the comedor—primarily Central Americans and Mexicans … [Read more...]
Asylum Stories: How Legal Counsel Helps Win Cases
Since its inception in August 2017, the KBI–Florence Project Legal Fellow Program has provided representation for numerous asylum seekers, handling their cases throughout the process and boosting the chances of success. Here are three stories of people who, despite the odds, won their asylum cases through their perseverance and the support of counsel from the Legal Fellow. The KBI–Florence Project Legal Fellow represents asylum seekers encountered by the KBI and detained after presenting … [Read more...]
KBI Media Report: July-August 2019
Our report this month includes coverage of a new expedited deportation policy, Border Patrol’s rampant inaccuracies in paperwork, and last month’s Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children. Expedited Deportations: A new policy announced by the Trump administration last month will require anyone apprehended by immigration officials to show that they’ve been in the country for two or more years continuously, or else be deported without a hearing before an immigration judge. The new rule … [Read more...]
KBI August Announcements
The KBI welcomes our new volunteer coordinator to the staff, and will host a Kino Teen Retreat at month’s end. We also share details about the KBI’s participation in last month’s Ignatian Justice Summit and recent immersion experiences. The KBI on the Road: From July 23–26, the Ignatian Solidarity Network held their Ignatian Justice Summit on Immigration, a conference aimed at student advocates to educate them about critical issues, create an advocacy network, and provide tools for … [Read more...]