Al Otro Lado
Draft Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Complaints for Asylum Seekers
Draft Complaints Outlining the Lack of Fair Access to Humanitarian Parole for Vulnerable Asylum Seekers
Posted March 4, 2022
Background & Context
The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) is a department within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that receives complaints regarding human rights abuses. Al Otro Lado is currently filing Humanitarian Parole (HP) requests for clients in extremely vulnerable situations; however, the majority of these requests are being ignored or denied by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Immediate Problem
In order to build a fuller picture of the issue and create a detailed record of this, we plan to file CRCL complaints for each HP request that is denied.
Work & Deliverables
As a volunteer for the CRCL Complaint Team, you will be drafting these complaints using information gathered by another team of volunteers who are making client calls and completing HP requests.
English fluency is required for this project. We offer ongoing support and supervision through weekly check in meetings, and a group chat with attorneys and other volunteers involved in the project. An attorney will review each complaint and feedback will be provided to guide your work.
Volunteers will not necessarily work on a complaint every week, but they will need to complete their complaints promptly when assigned.
Preparation Phase
- Wait for client assignment
- Attend training and review templates & instructions
Collaboration Phase
- Revise complaint as requested
- Complete complaint
Wrap Up
- Wait for assignment to another client
Al Otro Lado
We are a bi-national, social justice legal services organization serving indigent deportees, migrants, and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico. Our mission is to provide legal services and to uplift our immigrant communities by defending the rights of migrants against systemic injustices in the legal system. Our comprehensive cross-border programming and litigation work integrate trauma-informed practices. We engage vital partnerships and thousands of volunteers to provide essential legal services to migrants at the Southern Border in Tijuana and throughout Southern California. Al Otro Lado’s work is also centered in fighting for all families that have been torn apart by unjust immigration laws.
Al Otro Lado
We are a bi-national, social justice legal services organization serving indigent deportees, migrants, and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico. Our mission is to provide legal services and to uplift our immigrant communities by defending the rights of migrants against systemic injustices in the legal system. Our comprehensive cross-border programming and litigation work integrate trauma-informed practices. We engage vital partnerships and thousands of volunteers to provide essential legal services to migrants at the Southern Border in Tijuana and throughout Southern California. Al Otro Lado’s work is also centered in fighting for all families that have been torn apart by unjust immigration laws.