18 clinical students, 44 student volunteers, and 17 pro bono attorneys worked to protect and advance the rights of FIRC’s clients.
Students provided holistic representation to 72 community members from 9 countries in humanitarian-based immigration cases, including:
► Deportation Defense
► Asylum
► Protection under the U.N. Convention Against Torture (CAT)
► Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)
► Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
► U Nonimmigrant Status (U Visas)
► T Nonimmigrant Status (T Visas)
► Family Petitions
► Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Self-Petition
► Adjustment of Status
► Cancellation of Removal
► Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
► Special Immigrant Visas (SIV)
Students completed legal screenings and intakes for 198 community members and provided limited legal services, including:
► Pro se assistance with applications for TPS and Asylum
► Pro se motions to change venue of deportation proceedings
► Advocacy with ICE to remove ankle monitors and change reporting locations
► Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to obtain immigration files
► Applications for employment authorization
► Matching cases with pro bono counsel
► Connecting community members to community resources and service providers
► Legal advice letters
► Students prevailed in state court proceedings and petitions for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) on behalf of children who fled domestic and gang violence to reunite with family in the United States.
► Students met with community members to conduct legal screening workshops and identified undocumented community members who may be eligible for a pathway to citizenship.
► Students continued to advocate for a more just and fair immigration system, submitting public comments to educate the federal government on the potential impact of proposed federal rules that would affect the rights of the asylum seekers, DACA recipients, and families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border whom the students represent.
► In the spring of 2022, students won an asylum case for a human rights defender from Nicaragua, filing her application, gathering hundreds of pages of evidence, drafting her legal brief, and representing her during her asylum interview.
► FIRC’s Afghan Legal Advocacy (ALA) Project impacts a large community of Afghan citizens who fled their homes and began resettling in North Florida last August. FIRC spearheads a community coalition that provides free legal representation and community resources to Afghan families. The ALA Project has provided free legal consultations and identified potential pathways to permanent residency for over 78 Afghan families. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Pro Se Clinics are planned throughout 2022. Please contact Professor Hamill if you are interested in volunteering with the ALA Project.
► Students continued to work on a high-impact litigation case on behalf of a farmworker family whom ICE is attempting to deport despite their long-term residence in the United States, U.S. citizen children, and roles as essential workers during the pandemic. The outcome of the case has the potential of benefitting thousands of immigrants who received deficient notices to appear in immigration court.