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Subject: URGENT pro bono project - Protecting Refugees Arriving at Airports (Today through Saturday
Credible reports indicate that the Administration may place a hold on refugee resettlement this week, possibly as soon as today at 11 am. Each day, refugees who have been accepted for U.S. resettlement board commercial flights for the United States. No matter when an executive order is signed, refugees who have already departed will lose their admissibility while they are mid-air.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is working with local resettlement agencies to identify airports where refugees are scheduled to land in the next several days. Should an executive order revoke their admissibility, CBP may attempt to place these refugees in detention or expedited removal. IRAP is seeking attorneys, immediately, who can go to the airports at which refugees are scheduled to enter the United States to support arriving refugees in credible fear interviews. (Resources on CFIs are here and here – you should read these materials as there will not be a training for this project beyond the resources given the urgent timing).
Credible fear interviews are brief interviews that determine whether the individual has a "credible fear" of harm in their country of origin. We will provide letters for you arguing that USCIS has already determined that each of these refugees meets the refugee/asylum definition, so the credible fear interview should be almost a formality. And IRAP will be available for support and trouble shooting. The airports where we anticipate needing attorneys (so far) over the next two days are Newark, Washington-Dulles, and JFK.
This is not a heavy legal lift and is not a big time commitment. But these refugees – all of whom have already been through so much violence and instability (and all of whom have been subject to a strict vetting process) will have left for the US thinking that they will be accepted and resettled. Having a lawyer assist and support them when they learn that not to be the case upon landing is imperative.
You must be a member of a bar in good standing OR be accompanied by a lawyer admitted to a bar (no “law clerks” flying solo on this one).
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is working with local resettlement agencies to identify airports where refugees are scheduled to land in the next several days. Should an executive order revoke their admissibility, CBP may attempt to place these refugees in detention or expedited removal. IRAP is seeking attorneys, immediately, who can go to the airports at which refugees are scheduled to enter the United States to support arriving refugees in credible fear interviews. (Resources on CFIs are here and here – you should read these materials as there will not be a training for this project beyond the resources given the urgent timing).
Credible fear interviews are brief interviews that determine whether the individual has a "credible fear" of harm in their country of origin. We will provide letters for you arguing that USCIS has already determined that each of these refugees meets the refugee/asylum definition, so the credible fear interview should be almost a formality. And IRAP will be available for support and trouble shooting. The airports where we anticipate needing attorneys (so far) over the next two days are Newark, Washington-Dulles, and JFK.
This is not a heavy legal lift and is not a big time commitment. But these refugees – all of whom have already been through so much violence and instability (and all of whom have been subject to a strict vetting process) will have left for the US thinking that they will be accepted and resettled. Having a lawyer assist and support them when they learn that not to be the case upon landing is imperative.
You must be a member of a bar in good standing OR be accompanied by a lawyer admitted to a bar (no “law clerks” flying solo on this one).
My wife's firm is organizing their own volunteers, but I assume you can contact IRAP directly if you're qualified and can help.
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