Following many years of litigation, we were finally able to re-unify a family after more than 5 years of separation. While our work typically involves re-unification of families separated across borders, occasionally a case captures the essence of our law firm reminding us in vivid terms why we do what we do.
We recently experienced such an event. On August 17, 2016, a client brought his wife and three children to our office less than 24 hours after their arrival from West Africa. The children, ages 20, 17 and 14, although shy, were obviously grateful. The wife’s emotional reaction was much more obvious; she could not stop smiling. The father/client looked greatly relieved; relieved that he would not have to worry about his family’s safety again; relieved knowing that all his efforts, expenses, and hardships had not been in vain. He looked happier than we have seen him in more than 5 years of representing him.
In 2011, Mr. T (not real name) arrived in the United States, scared of returning to his home country in West Africa. He reluctantly filed for asylum, worried about the safely of his wife and three children. The Immigration Service asylum office referred him to Immigration Court for removal, finding that conditions had greatly improved, and that Mr. T had no reason to fear returning. Following extensive litigation, the Immigration Court in 2014 granted the asylum under Matter of Chen, which allows the court to grant Humanitarian asylum. According to the Judge:
“The Court further found that “as the government of President xxxx remains in power, the Court finds that there is reasonable possibility Respondent will continue to suffer this serious harm at the hands of the President xxxxx if removed to xxxxx. As Respondent has demonstrated past persecution and likelihood of future serious harm,the Court grant Respondent’s application for asylum.”
This was great victory for us. But much work was ahead for us.
The next task was the reunification of the family: wife and three children stranded overseas. Just when we thought that everything was in order, that his long-awaited reunification with his family was imminent, there was the ebola outbreak, which shut down the U.S. consulate and the other services. When conditions got better, we resumed the processing, and eventually, the satisfactory end-result was the family getting the visa and now reuniting in Minnesota.
In the middle of the 2016 Presidential campaign, a presidential candidate has derided immigrants, and insisted that the United States should build up walls to isolate the country from the rest of world. Refugees are portrayed as terrorists. This view is very short-sighted and betrays the very history of these United States of America. In retrospect, we have looked with shame upon the historical instances in which we have denied opening our borders to those fleeing persecution. Hopefully, we have learned from our mistakes. We should be reminded of Emma Lazurus poem.
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door
This country is built by immigrants and will protect immigrants seeking refuge.