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Human Rights First

Welcome Legal Alliance World Refugee Day Clinic: Legal Screening of Afghan Evacuees

Help screen Afghans in the U.S. for immigration relief

Posted May 25, 2022

Background & Context

The Welcome Legal Alliance brings together legal aid organizations with attorneys, law firms, and legal teams to connect pro bono attorneys directly with Afghan evacuee clients. In honor of World Refugee Day, we’re working with WLA members to host short legal clinics to serve these individuals and families.

Immediate Problem

Human Rights First estimates that over 20,000 principal applicants still need support to submit immigration filings to USCIS in the next three months. HRF has received over 3,000 requests for legal assistance from Afghans in the United States. In order to place cases with pro bono counsel, we need your help to screen and intake those individuals, helping to identify their immigration legal needs.

Work & Deliverables

Human Rights First will host a 2-hour screening clinic on June 23 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm EST, in observance of World Refugee Day.
Volunteers will be provided with a 1-hour training before the event. During the clinic, they will conduct a screening to identify if the client is eligble for any of the following immigration benefits: Special Immigrant Visas; Asylum; Family-based petitions (I-130); Special Immigrant Juvenile Status; U Visa; Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) relief and Employment-based visas.

How it works:
Volunteers will be provided with training and client information ahead of the clinic.
During the clinic, volunteers have the opportunity to ask HRF staff questions - either ahead of meeting with their client, or during their client interview if needed.
Volunteers and their assigned translator contact their clients via conference call to complete the online screening form.
After completing the screening form, the volunteer completes a brief 1-2 paragraph case summary highlighting the basis of immigration relief the individual may qualify for, in addition to collecting any documents they have collected from the individual.

Project Plan

Preparation Phase

  • Volunteer signs up for clinic (via company-wide or individual We the Action account )
  • Volunteer receives and reviews screening training video
  • Volunteer reviews and signs confidentiality agreement (companies/firms may also sign on behalf of em
  • Volunteer receives contact information for client (and interpreter, if necessary)

Collaboration Phase

  • Volunteers join live clinic on June 24 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm EST
  • Introduction from HRF and Q&A from volunteers with HRF staff
  • Each volunteer completes 1 screening (approx. 1 hour commitment)
  • Volunteer sends 1-2 paragraph case summary and documents to Human Rights First

Wrap Up

  • Contact Welcome Legal Alliance/HRF if you would like to continue with representation or take another

This project is complete!

This project has been completed thanks to the efforts of our volunteers.

Visit the Project Directory to check out other projects that still need your help!

Additional Information

  • Time Commitment: 1-5 hours
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Additional Training Details: Volunteers receive a training video to assist with the screening. Should questions arise during the process, volunteers can contact our organization and we will provide assistance.
  • Site-Preference: Remote
  • Open to Law Students: No
  • Bar License(s) required: Any Bar License
  • Required Languages: None
  • Required Legal Expertise: Immigration
  • Mentoring Provided: Yes
  • Supervision Provided: Yes
Human Rights First

Human Rights First is an independent advocacy and action organization that challenges America to live up to its ideals. Since our inception 43 years ago, we have worked to create a just world in which every person’s intrinsic human rights are respected and protected, to build societies that value and invest in all their people. To reach that goal demands assisting victims of injustice, bringing perpetrators of abuse to justice, and building institutions that ensure universal rights. Human Rights First has helped tens of thousands of individuals who came to the United States fleeing persecution, torture, and threats of death. We have 43 years of experience providing removal defense and affirmative immigration relief both in-house through direct representation and our pro bono model, which engages attorneys from law firms, corporations, and law school clinics across the country to provide pro bono representation to our clients.

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