Karina* fled to the United States to protect herself and her young son from ongoing horrific domestic abuse. Born in Central America, Karina has known violence her whole life. A close family member began beating her when she was in her early adolescence, and nobody – not even the police – protected her. When the violence was extended to Karina’s son, she knew she had no choice but to flee to safety. Karina found that safety in the United States. Yet today she sits in immigration detention, facing the specter of deportation back to the country of her abuser. The government initiated deportation proceedings against Karina because she does not have papers and recently was convicted of using false documents in order to work to support herself and her family. When she was put into proceedings Karina immediately told the authorities that she is desperately afraid to return to her country of origin, where she will be unable to find a haven from further abuse. Because of a backlog in processing, however, Karina waited in detention for more than six months before an immigration officer could determine that her fear was sufficiently credible for her to see an immigration judge. Finally able to have her day in court, Karina learned that because she cannot afford private counsel she might have to represent herself. Karina’s claim for protection in the United States involves a complicated and not completely resolved set of rules and cases governing gender-based claims for asylum and withholding of removal. When CAIR Coalition’s representatives met Karina, we wondered how she would master these legal doctrines and gather sufficient evidence to make her claim before the judge. Not fluent in English, and with limited formal education, Karina would have struggled. Thankfully, after meeting with Karina and getting to know her story, a team of attorneys at the law firm of Arnold & Porter has agreed to represent her on a pro bono basis in her fight to remain in the United States lawfully with her child. The team representing Karina includes: Raul R. Herrera, Partner; Ron Ghatan, Associate; Susan Bare, Staff Attorney; Josephine Qu, Foreign Attorney; and Oscar Medelius, Legal Assistant. On behalf of Karina, we at CAIR Coalition are grateful to the entire Arnold & Porter team for their commitment, and to Senior Partner Lawrence Schneider and Associate Christopher Jaros for their coordinating role. Karina is one of many survivors of brutal gender-based violence who face the complex web of immigration laws in removal proceedings without the right to appointed counsel. Click here to learn more about the rights and challenges faced by women like Karina. Click here to learn about other pro bono opportunities to represent detained immigrants in the Washington, D.C. area. * Psuedonym used to protect confidentiality.
