Bring Joshua home

In February 2014, we reported the following pro bono victory:  A team consisting of (former) associates Scott Vignos and Charlotte Cunningham, as well as partners Babak Yousefzadeh and Anna McLean, successfully secured asylum for their client Sindy Maribel Godoy Paz, a young woman from Honduras. The client fled Honduras to Oakland, California in 2009, leaving behind her young son, after persistent stalking by a former Honduran police officer whose advances she refused. The stalking culminated in an attempt on her life, which was never charged or prosecuted by the Honduran authorities. The asylum claim was novel as persecution based on gender is not an expressly recognized ground for asylum. The application faced additional obstacles as the one year time period to apply for asylum had elapsed. To overcome these hurdles, the team conducted significant legal research and worked with experts including a psychologist specializing in treating victims of torture. The United States Customs and Immigration Service spent over a year reviewing the application before finally approving it on February 5, 2014. The client was overjoyed at the news and will finally be able to reunite with her son, who qualifies for derivative asylum status as a result of this decision.

Sindy's son Joshua has (finally) been approved for a follow-to-join visa.  The visa is pending and is expected to be issued in the next few weeks.   SIndy cannot afford the airfare to bring Joshua to join her in Oakland, CA.  We hope to raise the money here, in the SF office.   It is the season for giving, and what better cause than to reunite a mother with her son.   Please contribute if you can!