FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DETAINED IN DILLEY, TEXAS ON WORLD REFUGEE DAY
THIS IS NOT THE 'LEAST RESTRICTIVE SETTING'
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| Outside the South Texas Family Residential Detention Center in Dilley, TX: Ilene Zaitouna (3L), Ali O’Brien (3L), Rochel Goldberger (3L), Aly Sosa (Class of 2015) |
June 19, 2015 – NEW YORK, NY – The Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights’ (CLIHHR) Refugee Representation Project (RRP) has announced the launch of the Pro Bono Advocacy Program. The program creates an opportunity for students to engage with advocacy issues that impact refugees and migrants. Students this year had the unique opportunity to assist women and children in detention in South Texas. RRP took its ongoing partnership with Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology’s Asylum Clinic on the road. Cardozo law students Rachel Goldberger '16, Ali O’Brien '16, Aly Sosa '15, and Ilene Zaitouna '16 all participated in the project. Fourth year students in the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Ferkauf Emily Green and Elaine Nabel also participated in the program under the supervision of professors Dr. Bill Salton and Dr. Carl Auerbach.
Most of the women detained at Dilley are from Central America and are seeking asylum because they are not safe at home. They are survivors of torture and victims of trauma. "Most of the women I interviewed had experienced severe violence at the hands of gang members and they do not have the protection of their governments," said O'Brien. The families are in need of legal assistance and psychological support. RRP stepped in with its holistic legal services model contribute to the overall volunteer effort. “It was an invaluable experience that I will never forget,” said Cardozo law student Goldberger.
Current figures indicate that the detention center is at half capacity, meaning that there are 1200 women and children detained there. Because legal services are limited, four national nonprofit organizations (The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, American Immigration Council, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association), collectively known as CARA have joined forces in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) expansion of family detention. Law students play a key role in the effort. Cardozo students conducted intake interviews, Know Your Rights presentations, Credible Fear Interview and Bond prep sessions and representation.
“I knew that the students were well prepared and would do high quality work but I was struck by the initiative our students took once we got on the ground. They played an active role in the CARA team making significant contributions to the overall effort. I was very proud of them,” said RRP Director Teresa Woods.
The Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights (CLIHHR) plans to continue advocacy efforts toward the protection of refugees and ending family detention. Such efforts fit squarely within the clinic’s overall “prevention, protection and rebuilding” framework toward the promotion of human rights and prevention of mass atrocities globally.
To get involved in the CARA project, click here.
For additional press, click here.
To get involved in CLIHHR’s work on behalf of refugees, click here.