Dear Friends,
Our role as legal advocates is to empower asylum seekers from all over the world, provide access to legal representation when they would otherwise have none, and fight for our clients to have an opportunity to live in safety in the United States.
Through our work, we are consistently confronted with the reality of racial bias, xenophobic bias, and class bias deeply embedded in our society and immigration policy.
The PAIR Staff, Board, and I are writing to assure you that no matter what happens in the coming days, PAIR is committed to its mission to providing free legal services to asylum seekers and immigrants unjustly detained by the immigration service. We take heart in knowing we are not alone and are grateful to each one of you for the part you play in honoring PAIR’s mission.
If you have questions about your client’s case, please speak with your PAIR mentor or any staff attorney. If you would like to volunteer with PAIR or support our programs, please reach out to us.
Many of you have reached to ask about next steps and what changes may come. On Wednesday, November 20th from 1:00-2:00 pm ET, PAIR's Ilana Greenstein, Asylum Program Manager, and Melanie Gleason, Pro Bono Involvement Coordinator, will host an open forum to address your concerns about the possible changes to immigration laws and immigrant rights.
Please RSVP for the 11/20 Open Forum here.
While we don't have all the answers right now, we have navigated times of uncertainty and draconian changes to immigration law many times in our history. We look forward to engaging in these conversations with you. In the coming weeks, we will share resources, referrals, legal updates, and answer your questions.
PAIR is ready to do the important work that is needed to achieve justice, transparency and fairness in the immigration laws for our clients and immigrant community. Thank you so much for supporting us and for all your do for PAIR and PAIR clients!
In solidarity,
Anita P. Sharma
Executive Director
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