National Immigrant Justice Center

Happy Independence Day! Today, we celebrate our country, including immigrants who embody the values of freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that define the American spirit. Immigrants are the American Dream. They make our country stronger and its future brighter. 💪 We must work to remain a land of opportunity and a beacon of hope for those seeking safety and a brighter tomorrow. Happy 4th! 🗽✨

Here are this week's NIJC #ProBonoMatters Updates: 🌟 Jones Day hosted our 13th pro se asylum workshop for 10 individuals from Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. 🌟 It was just a couple of years ago that our Afghan clients applied for asylum and now, with support from Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP, 11 clients have representation as they seek permanent residence. Thank you to these great partners and all language volunteers for supporting this critical work!

On World Refugee Day earlier this month, pro bono partners at Sidley Austin LLP and Aon assisted refugees and asylees in completing their applications for permanent residence. Meanwhile, just across Chicago's Loop, pro bono attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis were assisting immigrant youth to start their applications for permanent residence. It can take years for a refugee to achieve full legal integration in the United States. Permanent residence is one step closer!

The Biden administration recently announced it would extend access to the Parole-in-Place program to some spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens. Visit and bookmark our "Know Your Rights" page for information about the program based on what we know now: https://lnkd.in/gKdpUy4k

📢 Exciting News: We’re Hiring! 📢 If you're passionate about advocating for immigrant rights this could be your chance to join the National Immigrant Justice Center's dynamic team. Your skills and passion can make a real impact. We're currently #hiring for several positions: 💼 Senior Attorney (NIJC Immigrant Legal Defense) 💼 Staff Attorney 💼 Paralegal 💼 Immigration Court Helpdesk Coordinator. Apply today and help us build a more just and inclusive society: https://lnkd.in/g-Pwdn8U #JobOpening #ImmigrantJustice #ApplyNow #JoinUs

Pro Bono Matters! This month, pro bono attorneys from Greenberg Traurig, LLP assisted 10 individuals to file their DACA renewal applications. And, in honor of Pride Month, NIJC held our annual Asylum Pride training. More than 85 individuals learned how to prepare and present a defensive asylum case before immigration court. Thank you, Jenner & Block for being such generous hosts!

Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Department of State v. Muñoz, a case about what constitutional rights a U.S. citizen has in knowing the basis for her spouse’s immigrant visa denial. The Court held that U.S. citizen Sandra Muñoz does not have a liberty interest in her husband’s visa application. In a monumental attack on the right to marriage, it reasoned that U.S. citizen spouses do not have a liberty interest in living with their partners. “Today’s decision is a travesty, it makes a mockery of due process to say that a U.S. citizen can be separated from their spouse without any chance to have judicial review," said Charles Roth, NIJC director of appellate litigation. NIJC co-counseled in this case with Diamante Law Group and University of California, Berkeley Law School. Read more about the decision and its impact: https://bit.ly/4bdeHrg

This year as we mark World Refugee Day, at least 120 million people around the world are displaced from their homes due to violence, the highest number ever recorded. This annual commemoration of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees is intended to celebrate the courage, resilience, and contributions of people who have been forced to flee their homes. But at a time when the rights and safety of refugees worldwide is more precarious than ever, we also must mark this day by demanding justice and protection for those seeking refuge. From our legal services offices, to the federal courts, to the halls of Washington, D.C., NIJC staff are doing this work in myriad ways. Read more in the new article below by NIJC Executive Director Mary Meg McCarthy.

🌍 Today, on #WorldRefugeeDay, we honor the strength, resilience, and courage of millions of refugees worldwide. In these turbulent times, as people's rights are increasingly under threat around the globe, access to safe haven is becoming more difficult. NIJC's Post-Asylee/Refugee Benefits (PARB) pro bono program helps refugees and asylees petition to reunite with family members still living abroad and apply for lawful permanent residence. We are grateful to the pro bono partners who have helped bring dozens of people one step closer to realizing the peace and security they left home to find. Learn more about our work to assist refugees in our country here: https://lnkd.in/gGmkCXFn

From our legal services offices to the federal courts, NIJC continues to defend human rights and access to justice for refugees and asylum seekers. NBC News featured these efforts in a recent story about our lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's new rule blocking access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border and our work to increase access to legal counsel for asylum seekers arriving in Chicago. “My biggest fear is that people are going to be removed from this country to persecution and torture and death,” NIJC Litigation Director Keren Zwick told NBC. Watch and share: https://lnkd.in/gU5S5sA5 #WorldRefugeeDay