Immigration Law Clinic Successful
The UC Davis Immigration Clinic was successful in late February in obtaining relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture (CAT) for a father and his two sons and overcoming the one-year statutory bar to asylum for the father.
Amagda Perez, director of the clinic, said, "This is a tremendous victory for the Immigration Clinic because overcoming the statutory bar to asylum for not filing within one year of entering the United States is a very difficult bar to overcome and getting relief under CAT in a gang-violence case is almost unheard of."
Law students working on the case included Nina Sachdev '07, Tally Kingsnorth '07, Julia Mendoza '08, Sammar Miqbel '07, and Javier Barraza '07.
Sachdev briefed the one-year bar issue, prepared the lead respondent to testify about the circumstances that forced him to flee his home and prevented him from applying for asylum when he first came to the U.S. Nina also prepared an expert witness to testify about the lead respondent's post-traumatic stress disorder and how his condition affected his ability to affirmatively seek asylum. “The expert was excellent, and Nina did a magnificent job advocating on behalf of her client,” said Perez.
Kingsnorth co-authored the pre-hearing brief, defended the exhibits at the hearing, represented the oldest child, and, according to Perez, presented one of the best closing arguments that she’s heard. “The Immigration Judge asked Tally to address specific questions during the closing argument and Tally responded to each question with precision and clarity. Tally was articulate and poised during her closing argument.”
Mendoza represented the youngest child, prepared an expert on country conditions, researched rebuttal articles/evidence, and stepped up to the challenges of this case.
Sammar and Javier helped develop the case but were not able to participate in the hearing.
After the hearing, the Immigration Judge congratulated the Davis law students on the great job they did representing their clients and preparing such compelling arguments in a very challenging case.
Immigration Clinic
Amagda Perez, director of the clinic, said, "This is a tremendous victory for the Immigration Clinic because overcoming the statutory bar to asylum for not filing within one year of entering the United States is a very difficult bar to overcome and getting relief under CAT in a gang-violence case is almost unheard of."
Law students working on the case included Nina Sachdev '07, Tally Kingsnorth '07, Julia Mendoza '08, Sammar Miqbel '07, and Javier Barraza '07.
Sachdev briefed the one-year bar issue, prepared the lead respondent to testify about the circumstances that forced him to flee his home and prevented him from applying for asylum when he first came to the U.S. Nina also prepared an expert witness to testify about the lead respondent's post-traumatic stress disorder and how his condition affected his ability to affirmatively seek asylum. “The expert was excellent, and Nina did a magnificent job advocating on behalf of her client,” said Perez.
Kingsnorth co-authored the pre-hearing brief, defended the exhibits at the hearing, represented the oldest child, and, according to Perez, presented one of the best closing arguments that she’s heard. “The Immigration Judge asked Tally to address specific questions during the closing argument and Tally responded to each question with precision and clarity. Tally was articulate and poised during her closing argument.”
Mendoza represented the youngest child, prepared an expert on country conditions, researched rebuttal articles/evidence, and stepped up to the challenges of this case.
Sammar and Javier helped develop the case but were not able to participate in the hearing.
After the hearing, the Immigration Judge congratulated the Davis law students on the great job they did representing their clients and preparing such compelling arguments in a very challenging case.
Immigration Clinic