American University Washington College of Law Alternative Spring Break 2015: Fresno, California

Washington College of Law Alternative Spring Break 2015 Fresno helps unaccompanied minors in applying for Special Immigrant Justice Status (SIJS) in California:

A retell of our travels

Sunday, March 8, 2015

By Emmanuel Catalan

At 9:30 am on March 8, 2015, I awoke with Jeanna and Nirali knocking on my door telling Tyler and I that we had to get up and prepare to go on the road from San Francisco to Fresno. Forty-five minutes later, after I showered and packed up, the entire group: Jackie, Jeanna, Nirali, Tyler, Whitley, and I checked out of our hotel. Subsequently, we went to eat lunch to start the day. It wasn’t anything special. It was simply something for us to be ready for the journey we had awaiting us that day. Thereafter, we went to target to buy a ton of water bottles to keep us hydrated throughout the day. Given that we planned on hiking, a deprivation of water was not in our best interest. Funny fact, as Jackie was trying to get in the car, Whitley drove away with the door open unaware that Jackie was not in the car. She was ready to leave one of the members of the group. It took almost all of us to stop the mad woman “Whitley” from leaving Jackie. Just like that, on to Sequoia National Park we go.

When we finally arrived at Sequoia National Park, I was completely astonished by the contrast of San Francisco and Washington D.C.  The warmth of San Francisco, at least in Sequoia National Park was a completely different atmosphere than the chilling snow in Washington D.C. The brilliance of the sun evaporated any chills I had left from the cold weather of Washington, D.C.  The beautiful green trees of life surrounded the mountainous park as we drove around Sequoia Park. At some point, we got out of the car and took pictures. We saw this huge rock in front of us. “Ah, what a beautiful sight”, I thought. I posed like Hercules as Tyler took the picture. Another one of the pictures I posed for I was right on the edge of the rock. The feeling was so sublime. Although I knew I was so close to the edge, I stayed there because the feeling excited me. I felt like I was on cloud nine.

By 7:30 pm, the sun began to set at which we decided it was time to go to Fresno. It was quite the drive back home. It took an hour and a half to leave the National Park. What was once bright, then turned dark. By then, all I could then think about was the day awaiting me the next day. Honestly, I was anxious. I could barely understand a word of English and I knew I had to work with clients whose Native language was Spanish. However, I was also excited because I was going to work on immigration law. An issue I am vaguely familiar with because of my political science background, yet completely unaware of how these issues affect the lives of everyday people. As soon as I got home, all I could do was go to sleep and wait for the next day.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Whitley Granberry

Team Fresno (the AUWCL-ASB students) received a warm welcome as they started work at the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF).  CRLAF is non-profit organization that provides legal services and policy advocacy for California’s rural poor.  Team Fresno learned about CRLAF’s work in impact litigation, community education and outreach, legislative and administrative advocacy, and public policy related to immigration.  The team met CRLAF’s wonderful attorneys and familiarized themselves with the cases that they would work on for the week. 

CRLAF spent the day training Team Fresno, and familiarizing them with the law surrounding unaccompanied minors, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).  The students received a rewarding crash course on Fresno and California’s Valley, as well as the immigration issues facing many of the area’s migrant workers. 

Team Fresno also attended another training at the Economic Opportunity Commission where they met representatives from community organizations, representing farmers, schools, and other minority interest groups to learn about California’s Assembly Bill 60.  AB60 gives all California residents the right to apply for driver’s licenses, regardless of documentation status.  The team participated in an interactive section and dialogued with active community members, and leaders, about issues that they were facing, and how to address those issues.  #ASB2015Fresno  #WeFly #TeamFresno

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

By Jeanna Lee

American University Washington College of Law has again promoted its values of public interest and diversity through its Alternative Spring Break program. In an attempt to expand its outreach and its mission to assist low-income populations, six students volunteered their spring break to perform pro bono legal services through a non-profit organization called California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF).

During the week of spring break, these students performed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals and client intakes. While learning about the California state court procedures and immigration law, students created sample Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) application packets that consist of declarations, country condition reports, and Memorandum of Points and Authorities. The packets will be distributed to licensed attorneys who agree to participate in a new pro bono program that matches attorneys to SIJS qualified minors. To learn more about CRLAF, visit their website (www.crlaf.org) or their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/crlaf).

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

By Jacqueline Youm

Today was an excellent day! Two of the three teams (including Jeanna & Whitley; Tyler & Nirali; and Emmanuel & me), Tyler, Nirali, Emmanuel, and I had the opportunity to meet our clients and to interview them in order to create an affidavit for their cases. We had created our own strategies and were able to get a lot of relevant and important information to supplement their affidavits and make them as compelling as possible. 

Emmanuel and I had decided to play cards with our client at first, so that he could get comfortable with us before we started to investigate into his life. He did not give us a hard time at all. Even though Emmanuel spoke very little Spanish, our client was happy to let Emmanuel ask him some questions in Spanish and he was very patient with him. It was surprising that he opened up so much and so quickly to us. It was an emotional, challenging, strenuous, and even illuminating experience for some. 

It did come with some of its challenges as my partner could not speak Spanish and I had to translate for both my partner and our client. Writing his affidavit and making it compelling enough to convey the atrocities and the horrendous situation he was in when he was in his country was difficult, but we were able to do it somewhat justice. This will be an experience that we will not forget anytime soon. 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

By Nirali Shah

Throughout this whole Alternative Spring Break trip, the staff at CRLAF has helped us experience the Fresno culture. From the beginning, they informed us about the cultural and political landscape of the area. Throughout our trip, they have recommended food and activities that are unique to the Fresno area. 

Yesterday, a man in a bicycle drove through the neighborhood where CRLAF is located. They rushed us outside and got us snacks. Our first snack was elotes con chile, corn covered in mayonnaise, cotija (Mexican crumbly cheese), and chile.

Our second snack was chicharrones, fried pork rinds, with chile sauce. CRLAF has fed us until we couldn’t move. The staff has been incredibly hospitable to us in every way possible. They have been welcoming, patient, helpful, considerate, and very fun to be around. I could not have asked for better people to work with.

Friday, March 13, 2015

By Tyler Bodi

Today was our last day working with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.  It was a great privilege to work with an enthusiastic and passionate team of professionals and we were sad the trip was only a week.  We completed our memos just before noon.  We took photos with the whole group just before rushing off to our last event this afternoon.  

The afternoon event was a training session for interested practicing attorneys.  The first lecture was essentially a recapitulation of SIJS facts and procedure from a slideshow we had referenced throughout the week.  The second lecture covered family court procedure for determining when a child might meet the legal definition of “abused” in SIJS cases.  The final portion of the afternoon event was a panel with questions by the attendees.  Afterwards, to show our overwhelming appreciation for the CLRAF team, we personally covered a lavish dinner at a Teppanyaki Steakhouse (a Japanese grill where a chef performs the dinner preparations directly in front of seated guests).

The trip was perfect: we gained valuable experience, networked, and felt like we made a real difference.  Our work aided, not just the children we interviewed this week, but also, many children that will receive assistance because of the novel template research we left behind.  The trip surpassed our greatest expectations and we would highly recommend working with the Fresno branch of CRLAF again.