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Connecting Communities with Immigration Integrity through National Justice for Our Neighbors (Ep 41)

December 18, 2015 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Rob Rutland-Brown and the work he is doing as the Executive Director of  the National Justice for Our Neighbors

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Rob Rutland-Brown is the Executive Director of the National Justice for Our Neighbors, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Springfield, VA just outside of Washington DC with satellite offices throughout the country. National Justice for Our Neighbors is a United Methodist ministry of hospitality that welcomes immigrants by providing affordable, high-quality immigration legal services for low-income immigrants, engaging in advocacy for immigrant rights, and offering education to communities of faith as well as the public. Rob received his Bachelor’s in Psychology and History from Emory University and a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Georgia State University. Has has since worked in the immigration focused nonprofit sector for over a decade.

National Justice for Our NeighborsAbout the National Justice for Our Neighbors

National Justice for Our Neighbors discusses their hospitality ministry that welcomes immigrants by providing affordable, high-quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, engaging in advocacy for immigrant rights, and offering education to communities of faith and the public.

 

National Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) has sites around the country with staff attorneys and teams of volunteers that provide critical immigration legal services while connecting communities. Their work focuses on uniting families, helping vulnerable immigrants to escape violence, and enabling eligible immigrants to receive authorization to work.

 

In 2015, the JFON network has handled nearly 7,000 cases for 3,000 clients from 125 countries. This includes 700 DACA cases for young dreamers seeking to work and attend college, 500 cases for victims of domestic violence or other violent crimes, 200 asylum cases, 150 refugee adjustment cases, and 3,000 advice and counsel cases for those needing to know their options under immigration law. Their network consists of 15 sites across the country that operate 40 clinics, most of which are run out of United Methodist Churches. The have 25 staff attorneys and more than 50 pro bono attorneys, along with hundreds of additional volunteers, but always need more.

 

In addition to direct legal services, JFON also engages in education and advocacy. They give Know Your Rights presentations to immigrants so that they understand how laws apply to immigrants in the U.S., regardless of immigration status. They talk to Sunday school classes, community groups, and the general public about how our immigration system works, dispelling myths that often circulate about immigrants within our communities. They advocate by raising our collective voices for reforms to our immigration laws that are unjust. For example, this year we have sought to end the harmful practice of family detention, and urged for Deferred Action for the Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) to come to fruition so that parents of American children can work and not fear deportation.

 

In the coming year, we have several exciting projects aimed at serving the most vulnerable immigrants in our communities. In South Florida, JFON will be initiating a mobile clinic to provide services in areas of high unmet need, including to rural farm workers, who are unable to come to our office. In Houston, which has more victims of trafficking than anywhere in the country, they will be expanding our work with trafficked immigrants to enable them to remain in the U.S., permanently and safely. In Austin, they will focus on serving unaccompanied migrant children who have fled El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala due to extreme violence there. These children have arrived here alone and need access to legal services in order to remain here in safety. Unaccompanied migrant children who are represented in court by an immigration attorney are five times more likely to receive lawful status here than those who are not.
Some JFON sites have minimal fees for their clients, but most are free. This is because JFON serves only clients who are low-income and have nowhere else to turn for trustworthy, quality immigration legal services. In order to fund the work, JFON sites receive funding from churches, private foundations, and individuals.

 

Every day, JFONs across the country receive calls from more clients seeking assistance than they can begin to serve. Their volunteer-based model allows them to help as many clients as possible while keeping costs down and connecting individuals from different backgrounds. Pro-bono attorneys assist staff attorneys with cases, or in some cases take on cases directly. Other volunteers help with interpreting, handling the phones, conducting initial intake interviews, providing food, engaging in childcare, and much more. This assistance allows them to be more efficient and also to build community through opportunities to better know one another.

 

There are two ways you can show your support of the immigration work that National Justice for Our Neighbors

Volunteer

Donate

Filed Under: Defense, Podcast

Jessica Stern: CRImmigration (Ep. 35)

February 10, 2015 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Jessica Stern about CRImmigration and Defending non-citizens with criminal matters and the implications on immigration status.

Listen to this show using the web player below or your podcasting app of choice.

 

Subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher to get the next episode when it is released


Jessica SternJessica Stern is a bright, spirited courtroom lawyer and a champion for justice. Blending her experience from years as a public defender and then as an Associate with the well-respected white collar defense firm, Jessica founded STERN Law.

In addition to her traditional criminal defense practice, Jessica Stern has a strong passion to help non-citizens successfully navigate through the criminal process in order to avoid immigration consequences.  She also has the skill and knowledge to handle any immigration-related matter in any Immigration Court nationwide – such as removal/deportation defense or other forms of immigration relief.

In this episode you will hear:

  • The blending of Criminal Law and Immigration Law
    • When a noncitizen is facing criminal charges and not understanding how those criminal charges and ultimately potential criminal convictions could affect their current immigration status is the U.S.
    • When a person already has a criminal conviction or now in deportation proceedings and maybe trying to achieve some sort of immigration status and adjust their status but worried about whether they can because of their criminal conviction.
  • When a worker got arrested for shoplifting and concerned about how its going to affect the visa status.
  • Lawyers who are representing the employer of a particular working visa holder with criminal charges navigating the impact of the immigration status.
  • A foreign national having to leave the U.S. while there is a pending criminal case.
  • A permanent resident allegedly using a fake receipt and considered as a forgery offense currently in immigration custody.
  • How wordings will affect how the immigration court views the sentence versus what the actual intentions of the criminal court were.
  • CRimmigration being a great resource for both criminal practitioners or criminal defense attorneys and immigration attorneys who have a foreign national client who may already have a conviction.

Jessica’s parting thoughts:

  • If a person is not a citizen, they’re always at risk potentially for deportation of any criminal scenario.
  • Any person regardless of how long they’ve been a lawful permanent resident or how long they’ve held their current visa, if a person is not a U.S. citizen, they are still affected by the laws of the immigration regardless of nationalities.

Jessica specializes in:

  • Criminal defense for people with criminal charges.
  • Foreign nationals facing deportation proceedings.
  • Family Based immigration.

Filed Under: Defense, Podcast

Heather Poole: LGBT Immigration Rights (Ep 22)

August 26, 2014 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to immigration attorney Heather Poole about the strike down of the Defense of Marriage Act and the impact on Immigration.


Heather PooleHeather is an experienced U.S. immigration attorney with 14 years of exclusively immigration law work, representing executives, professionals, individuals and families all over the world. She is frequent lecturer and trainer on immigration issues to national and regional bar associations, non-profit agencies, and private legal education providers. She is a published national author and attorney trainer on complex family and marriage-based immigration issues, holds a national liaison position for American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and is current Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Southern California Chapter… which is the 3rd largest group of immigration attorneys in the US.

In this episode you will hear:

  • What was DOMA and how has the recent change in marriage equality impacted immigration
  • How this change affects LGBT rights with respect to immigration
  • Why it is importation to get the correct derivative US visa if in an LGBT relationship
  • How training and implementation may be different at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Protection and Foreign Consulates
  • How to protect your rights and actions to take domestically and abroad if you feel your LGBT Immigration issue is not being handled appropriately.

 

Heather also shares with us:

  • Best Business Advice: Find your niche and do what you love
  • Personal Success Habits: Very positive and optimistic, yet very organized.  Outlook Junkie!
  • Parting Thoughts: Ensure you seek a competent attorney and all forms are signed by an attorney

Heather has also worked with us to provide a brief document entitled: Know Your Options at the Border: Tips for Working with CBP at Entry.  You can get your copy at the link below.

Know Your Options at the Border

 

Filed Under: Defense, Family, Podcast

Ryan Barshop: From the front lines front lines at the Consulate in the Philippines (Ep. 18)

July 29, 2014 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Ryan Barshop on how he supports Immigration on the front lines at the Consular office at the US Embassy in Manila, Philippines

 

 


Ryan BarshopRyan Barshop, Esq., is a American national educated at Suffolk University (B.S. American History, Cum Laude) and Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Juris Doctor, Cum Laude). Originally from New York City, Ryan first arrived in the Philippines in 2003 as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer working with underprivileged youth through the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development in Tarlac City, Tarlac. After successfully completing Peace Corps, Ryan moved to Hong Kong where he spent two years working in education before entering law school. While in law school, Ryan was the receipt of several academic awards, served as an associate editor of law journal, and externed at the Superior Court of Guam where he drafted numerous Decisions and Orders for the court.

A member of the New York State Bar and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Ryan is licensed to practice immigration law throughout the United States and federal territories. He serves as a U.S. Immigration and Consular Practice/ Direct Consular Processing Lawyer providing in-depth U.S. immigration services and consular processing advice to clients in the Philippines and abroad. He is well-versed and highly knowledgeable in the complex system that composes U.S. immigration law and consular processing at the US Embassy in Manila.

In this episode you will hear:

  • How the consulate office fits into the overall immigration process
  • What Consular officers look for in various petitions
  • Recent Changes to the Embassy in the Philippines
  • How engaging a US Immigration Attorney at the consulate can strengthen an established immigration team

Ryan also shares with us:

  • Best Business Advice: It is called the practice of law for a reason – there is always room to learn
  • Personal Success Habits:  He is always available
  • Parting Thoughts: Feel free to reach out to him if you need help from the Philippines

Filed Under: Defense, Podcast

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