U.S (VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE) : Ana just wanted to be reunited with her son.

 

 

 

 

 

Ana still remembers hearing the sounds of crying children filling the overcrowded immigration detention center. She and her son had just fled gang violence in Guatemala and sought safety and asylum in the United States. Instead, what they were met with upon reaching the U.S. border was the unthinkably traumatic experience of being detained, separated from one another, and confronted with deportation proceedings alone. Ana feared deportation would be inevitable if she stepped into the courtroom without legal representation. She did not speak English, knew very little about immigration law, and was unable to afford a lawyer. She was terrified and desperate to be reunited with her son. Hope came in the form of a publicly funded lawyer that agreed to help her file for asylum so she and her son could remain in the U.S. and look ahead to a better and brighter future together. If we want to bring fairness to our immigration system, we must ensure all people who face deportation have the right to a publicly funded lawyer and get their fair day in court. Add your name to show your support for Vera’s fight to advance universal representation for immigrants facing deportation.

Vera Institute of Justice