Dear Friend,
CLINIC has the privilege of overseeing the BIA Pro Bono Project. It is a one-of-a-kind
program that matches detained immigrants with pro bono attorneys from some of the
top law firms in the nation.
Immigrants in removal proceedings have no right to appointed counsel. Each year, thousands of
detained, indigent asylum-seekers and green card holders go unrepresented before immigration
courts, as well as the nation’s highest administrative immigration appeals court, the Board of
Immigration Appeals (BIA). In 2005, 5,943 detained immigrants had cases on appeal before the BIA.
Forty-three percent of these immigrants did not have representation.
BIA decisions have grave and enduring consequences. For many, they lead to removal to countries where persecution and
brutal torture forced their flight, and where they would face imminent danger upon return.
Detainees face many obstacles to legal representation. Detention centers are often located in remote areas, far from legal
resources, and rarely contain legal immigration materials. Even if such materials are available, few individuals without legal
training (or the ability to read and write in English) can master the complex legal procedures and standards that apply to their
cases, especially at the appellate level. These barriers make conveying the crux of a legal case to an appellate body, or even
potential counsel, extremely difficult.
The BIA Pro Bono Project, which CLINIC coordinates, was created to address the injustices facing
this population by facilitating legal representation.
This edition of A Case For… looks closely at the project’s provision of pro bono representation to
asylum seekers. I invite you to read about a recent case that was appealed successfully, and learn
about the BIA program and CLINIC’s role in more detail.
Sincerely,
Donald Kerwin
Executive Director, CLINIC
CLINIC has the privilege of overseeing the BIA Pro Bono Project. It is a one-of-a-kind
program that matches detained immigrants with pro bono attorneys from some of the
top law firms in the nation.
Immigrants in removal proceedings have no right to appointed counsel. Each year, thousands of
detained, indigent asylum-seekers and green card holders go unrepresented before immigration
courts, as well as the nation’s highest administrative immigration appeals court, the Board of
Immigration Appeals (BIA). In 2005, 5,943 detained immigrants had cases on appeal before the BIA.
Forty-three percent of these immigrants did not have representation.
BIA decisions have grave and enduring consequences. For many, they lead to removal to countries where persecution and
brutal torture forced their flight, and where they would face imminent danger upon return.
Detainees face many obstacles to legal representation. Detention centers are often located in remote areas, far from legal
resources, and rarely contain legal immigration materials. Even if such materials are available, few individuals without legal
training (or the ability to read and write in English) can master the complex legal procedures and standards that apply to their
cases, especially at the appellate level. These barriers make conveying the crux of a legal case to an appellate body, or even
potential counsel, extremely difficult.
The BIA Pro Bono Project, which CLINIC coordinates, was created to address the injustices facing
this population by facilitating legal representation.
This edition of A Case For… looks closely at the project’s provision of pro bono representation to
asylum seekers. I invite you to read about a recent case that was appealed successfully, and learn
about the BIA program and CLINIC’s role in more detail.
Sincerely,
Donald Kerwin
Executive Director, CLINIC
