Is the Grass Really Greener?

Asylum seekers have fled dangerous conditions in their homeland; as distinguished poet Warsan Shire wrote “no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark”. Unfortunately, many asylum seekers currently in the US are finding themselves in dire circumstances in our country as our asylum process is under severe stress from the record high encounters reported at the US – Mexico border. The depths of the bureaucracy involved in the asylum process lead many asylees to question their decision to flee the mouth of a shark, as they find themselves trying to stay afloat in shark infested waters.

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DHS Designates Ethiopia for TPS

On October 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the designation of Ethiopia for temporary protected status (“TPS”) for eighteen months, beginning December 12, 2022 through June 12, 20024 to help protect Ethiopian nationals in the United States from returning to unsafe conditions ”due to conflict-related violence and a humanitarian crisis involving severe food shortages, flooding, drought, and displacement.” The TPS designation has gone into effect with the publishing of the Federal Register Notice earlier this week.  Eligible individuals may submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status along with Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization electronically as of December 12, 2022.

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A Child’s Perspective on Immigration Reform: “Until Someone Listens”

Having her family fall victim to the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, which criminally prosecuted immigrants that crossed the US border without documentation and separated families as a consequence, Estela Juarez has written a children’s book with the help of Lissette Norman and illustrator Teresa Martin, titled “Until Someone Listens.” The book offers a personal account of Estela’s story of loss and lack of protection under our current immigration system, in the hopes that all who read will listen to the pressing need for immigration reform.

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Immigration Backlogs Jeopardize Child’s Organ Transplants

While debates on immigration policy often tend towards philosophical ideas, in practice the immigration system in the United States can lead to serious and even life-threatening situations. Eleven-year-old Julia Espinoza was born in Miami while her parents were attending college on student visas. Julia was born with a congenital malformation to her small intestine, which prevents her from eating normally. As a lifesaving measure, doctors removed most of her small intestine. Julia survives by getting daily infusions of nutrients through an intravenous post in her chest.

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