Allison Argueta
Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project
California, USA
The first day at Esperanza consisted of me learning much more about my role with the organization this summer. I will be working with one of the Community Education programs which helps unrepresented immigrants. While the organization itself cannot guarantee legal representation to every respondent, volunteers like myself, are trained to provide aid in filling out forms or informing them of their options. My supervisor Evelyn took much care in telling me that many times we are the first people these people encounter within the legal field, and sometimes even the only legal aid they’ll receive. Whether it’s a change of address or filling an asylum application, we ensure that respondents understand what is being asked of them every step of the way.
The first week was also about learning about the reality of immigration law. There just aren’t enough lawyers to represent every immigrant, many are even subject to legal limbo even if they do find legal help. There are even accredited representatives which are non-attorneys that have proven they can provide legal services to immigrants. Even then, immigrants have a difficult time maneuvering the immigration system, not just because of the language barrier, but because of the ever-changing nature of immigration law.
Because of the sheer amount of immigrants needing legal services, pro bono and low bono are very popular options. Pro se representation (self representation) has become prevalent when such options are not available to them. As such that is where Community Education programs come in.
However, as volunteers, we are also limited in our capacity. I was given a document that detailed the differences between legal orientation and legal representation, the former being where I function in because I am not an attorney. As such, I cannot tell someone what I think they must do or what’s best for their situation.
Evelyn also gave me the task of reaching out to respondents for Access to Asylum Project, which is an online initiative to provide asylum seekers with the information and support they need while applying for asylum, as well as filling out the form. It is also a collaboration with Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) and OneJustice. It is not just volunteers but there’s also supervising attorneys ensuring that volunteers are filling out the form correctly or even figuring out the best way to speak with a respondent, keeping in mind they have to relay their traumatic experiences. I have not yet been assigned to a respondent, but have been reading extensively about asylum and what and who merit asylum.
While I have been doing my best to reach out to respondents. There are just so many people to reach out to, but I can’t help but wonder how many more people need assistance.