‘The least we can do.’ Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy hosts asylum application clinic
The Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s offices in east Charlotte were filled with lawyers and immigrants working together to file asylum applications on Saturday.
After people enter the country and are detained at the border, they generally have one year to file for asylum through an I-589 form. Though people can file the applications themselves without the aid of an attorney, legal assistance drastically improves their chances for success in immigration court.//accepted
This weekend’s clinic is the first of its kind in North Carolina, CCLA immigration attorney Rebekah Niblock said, though similar clinics have been held throughout the country.
Though the clinic’s participants won’t be legally represented by the CCLA in court, it’s a way for the agency, overburdened with requests, to expand its reach and serve more clients without having to turn anyone away.
“We can’t accept everyone,” Niblock said. “But the least we can do is help them get their applications out.”
Seeking asylum
In November 2021, UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University law students began looking over asylum applications in collaboration with the CCLA.
Now, just a few months later, about 20 participants had their application reviewed by CCLA attorneys on Saturday. This upcoming week, those asylum claims will be filed.
“It’s a wonderful learning experience for the law students,” she said. “They do have immigration clinics at both UNC and Duke but having them work with us directly… they learn from us, and it just expands their opportunities in law school.”
Niblock, who manages over 100 cases that are mostly asylum-related, said the turnout shows how great the need is in Charlotte. She said the number of nonprofits that do this kind of work is limited, and Charlotte immigration court can be challenging — few asylum claims are granted.
In addition, the language barrier can present challenges. And the application, though free, can only be filed in English and can be complex to understand.
The CCLA, which was founded in 1967, serves people seeking asylum from all over the world, including Central America, Africa and Asia. Many of their clients are referred to them through Charlotte’s various refugee resettlement agencies.
Thousands of Afghans have arrived in the United States, many in Charlotte, over recent months to escape Taliban violence. The center is also expecting an influx of Ukranian refugees in the upcoming months. However, Niblock suspects many of them will want to return to their home country instead of seeking citizenship.
Clinic attendees did not participate in media interviews out of fear of deportation — many of them are already in removal proceedings.
The goal of Saturday’s clinic, Niblock said, was to review applications and answer any questions from attendees.
“A lot of people obviously with asylum have experienced trauma and very difficult situations in their home country, like physical abuse or violence from gangs,” she said. “So we do want to be very sensitive and take time to really listen to their story and make sure we do the best we can in crafting their asylum claim and in their application.”
Niblock said recounting their experiences can retraumatize clients.
“Think about coming here and having to explain that you were tortured by your government, as an example, to an asylum officer or immigration attorney… someone asking detailed questions and making you remember everything so you’re being traumatized a second time, a third time, over and over again,” she said. “We talk to people in a way that hopefully makes them feel like their information remains confidential and that we really do care.”
The road to citizenship is long, Niblock said. Months after the claims are filed, the CCLA will help the clinic participants acquire a work permit.
Niblock hopes the clinic can become a monthly event that helps instill trust in the CCLA within the community.
“It is important for people to not be afraid to come forward and apply for asylum,” she said. “But above all, I’d encourage people to meet with an attorney before they file anything.”
