Introduction to Legal Support from YMCA
YMCA International Services strives to promote a sense of community through empowering refugees, asylees and migrant families to become self-sufficient. YMCA International Services of Northwest North Carolina has provided for the legal needs of immigrants and their families in the community since 2000. It assists with case processing and orientation to the U.S. legal system for individuals and families who have come to or are preparing to come to the Winston-Salem area. YMCA International Services is one of two programs supported by the national YMCA to provide legal services to immigration applicants, and hometown to more than 200 families/emobile households each year — and another 300 on a walk-in basis — with applications. More than 2 , 000 unique clients were assisted by YMCA International Services in 2019. Staff members are accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals and are USCIS CERAP-certified as accredited representatives for North Carolina. YMCA International Services’ mission is to "Assure that families and individuals, who come to the Y with hope for a brighter future, experience an array of meaningful services and opportunities that expand their minds, bodies and spirits." Successful assimilation into America’s global society requires a strong legal foundation. For 20 years, the staff at YMCA International Services has provided guidance, trained staff and volunteers, and advocated with the community to provide the legal services that newcomers and their families need to secure safety and protection, pursue economic self-sufficiency and quality of life.
Legal Support Provided by YMCA
YMCA International Services provides a host of immigration legal services to help guide individuals through the often complex and daunting process. These services include assistance with visa applications, temporary protected status (TPS), asylum support requests, and citizenship and green card processes. The office is also able to assist with family reunification, which involves visa issuance for overseas family members, including those petitioning for a spouse in the United States, children petitioning for a child over 21 years old, and parents petitioning for a child over 21 years old. Petitioning within certain timeframes and for specific groups can speed up the family reunification process significantly. For instance, spouses, children, and parents can petition for one another as non-immigrant visa holders.
An experienced lawyer can walk clients through the various steps, walking them through the relevant forms and requirements, explaining the importance of documentation, and offering guidance if issues arise. Some asylum seekers face difficulty in obtaining legal counsel if they are unable to demonstrate that they have a reasonable fear of persecution in their home country. Those who fail to establish this level of fear are placed in expedited removal proceedings. In such cases, a lawyer can provide clarity for those who have faced persecution for things such as religion, sexual orientation, political opinion, ethnicity, or nationality.
YMCA Staff Expertise in Legal Services
YMCA International Services is fortunate to have a staff of highly trained immigration attorneys and support staff. Our attorneys possess a range of diverse backgrounds, experiences and qualifications that enrich our ability to provide cutting edge legal representation to our clients.
YMCA IS attorneys have full accreditation to practice under the authority of the United States Department of Justice. Their experience includes working for private immigration law firms and non-profit legal aid organizations and represents a variety of backgrounds from migrant farm work to international human rights organizations. Our staff also includes attorneys who are fluent in Spanish and Mandarin, which allows us to better serve our clientele from different cultural and language backgrounds.
The YMCA IS has established itself as an expert in Houston in dealing with complex immigration cases. Our attorneys have successfully represented clients in federal court appeals; created significant new legal precedent in the area of criminal consequences to immigration status (post-conviction relief from under the Padilla and Chaidez rulings); and litigated the first case before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals dealing with deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) program. At YMCA IS, we take immigration representation out of the box. Our attorneys are accomplished writers and speakers and regularly represent the client at local community boards, community gatherings and international conferences.
Success with Advocacy and Legal Aid
YMCA has supported countless individuals and families in their journey to secure legal protection and achieve their immigration goals. The impact of our work can be seen in the transformation of our clients as they obtain legal relief, gain lawful status, and most importantly, a renewed sense of stability and relief.
A resettled refugee who found herself detained due to administrative errors in her permanency application, is now living with her husband and children after her appeal for bond was approved. She can now work toward her goal of establishing a thriving grocery store in Houston’s East End.
A recently arrived student visa holder found herself in immigration detention. Through our advocacy and legal support, she was released on bond and is now safely pursuing her education in Houston.
One of our asylum seekers fled persecution and death threats when his mind was made up to give his life for a better one for his wife and 2 children. He was extracted from the jaws of death and quickly resettled in Houston thanks to the YMCA’s leadership and legal services. He now works as a chef and is an advocate for Human Rights.
A mother of a U.S. citizen applied for her son’s adjustment of status with the help of the YMCA. The mother, who had outstanding deportation order against her, was persuaded to apply for a visa that would bring her out of the shadows. Once approved, a request was made to the judge to rescind her removal order. In the process, she secured the return of her son who was being held in foster care for over 2 years because she was afraid to claim him. Through the joint efforts of the YMCA and Covenant House; her intention was made known to the judge, the order was rescinded, the son was released into his mother’s care and they celebrated the holidays as most families do.
A young man who fled the violence of gang recruitment at the threat of death before his 16 birthday if he did not join the gang was able to secure his asylum application and the protection of the law to recover and move on with his life. He is now going to school and working full time.
Accessing Services and Support
YMCA’s International Services department not only provides the community with the knowledge to navigate the complex immigration system through their Immigration Legal Service and Department of Justice recognized BIA-Accredited Immigration Legal Team but also with tools designed to provide information and access to assistance.
Immigration Legal Services at YMCA International Services provides free, confidential consultations and screenings to determine appropriate legal remedies including the following: YMCA does not take walk-in appointments for Immigration Legal Services. All potential clients must first come to one of YMCA’s scheduled group legal clinics listed below. Individuals who may need assistance in Spanish may attend the Spanish-speaker clinic listed below. After a legal screening has been conducted , an appointment will be scheduled with one of our attorneys.
What to bring Clients receiving free or subsidized legal representation must provide the following documentation or information at the time of their legal consultation. (Note: appropriate documentation may not always exist for everyone.) If appropriate documents are not available at the initial intake appointment, the potential client may be asked to obtain this information before an attorney can begin representation.
Fee Schedule YMCA International Services charges customs broker examination applicants who will receive a credit for the examination $100.00. This fee also applies to any applicant who does not qualify for a waiver of the examination. YMCA International Services does not charge any other fees for providing legal services. However, there is a $50 fee for every application approved by USCIS which supports the organization’s further development of the legal program.
Community Benefits and Impact
YMCA International Services’ work goes beyond assisting the individuals who directly benefit from their legal services. Many of their clients are deeply embedded in the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the communities into which they have immigrated. For people in differing walks of life to have access to sound legal advice and representation is a necessity.
Consider the child who leaves school to take factory or low-wage jobs. Or the bakery owner who uses her life’s savings to pay coyotes to escort her back home after another failed attempt at passing through border patrol. Or, how about the family who emigrated after loss of their farms due to rising ocean levels in Bangladesh; people such as these have all been assisted by YMCA International Services.
Youth who apply for work permits or temporary protected status can stay in school, gradually gain experience, such that they can go on to higher education or skilled employment. Grocery store clerks, busboys, factory workers—all able to work legally and without fear of deportation can provide for themselves, their children, and even run small businesses in communities where they are vulnerable to discrimination.
Employment, college education, home ownership, these are all possibilities for families who are empowered to seek representation for their immigration needs. In this way, the community benefits from YMCA International Services’ efforts at helping immigrants with a legal process that provides security, contribution to taxes, and stability.
Socio-economically, the value of this legal access becomes clear. The World Bank estimates that poor metric-quality legal services cost $25 billion a year in lost GDP globally.
YMCA International Services’ goal, in providing access to a justice that is skewed toward those with means, increases the total value to communities and reaping the socio-economic rewards.
YMCA International Services does the hard work of grooming a cadre of trained legal assistants who go on, many of them, to become practicing attorneys. They have already trained dozens of law students, who will carry this training with them, transforming the legal field both here and around the world. That might be their greatest prize.
Future Plans and Projects
With an eye toward the future, YIS continues to seek and develop more innovative ways to serve and support its clients. Currently, the agency is growing its capacity through expansion of core services, including legal and administrative support as well as the continued development and enhancement of current programs to build bridges and make connections between immigrants and the broader community.
The Refugee Resettlement program, which has built a reputation for serving immigrant victims of violence , will expand its service capacity to assist those with fragile mental health in 2016. The agency also recently added an immigration attorney position supporting human trafficking survivors and other vulnerable populations at their Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)-funded human trafficking resource center. These new initiatives ensure that services not only address the immediate legal needs of clients but also provide for their long-term adjustment to life in the United States. YIS anticipates announcing additional enhancement and expansion opportunities in the near future.