by Kathy Para
JBA Pro Bono Committee Chair
For the unrepresented, navigating the legal system is daunting and overwhelming. But for the newcomer immigrant community, the issue of culture and language makes asserting your legal rights a nearly impossible task.
Recently, several area immigration attorneys responded to the needs of Haitians in our area who were unable to return to Haiti due to the devastating earthquake.
Area attorney and Florida Coastal School of Law graduate Latangie Williams is an immigrant herself. She came from Jamaica with her family at 2 years of age.
After law school, Williams began volunteering with JALA and when the Haitian crisis arose, Williams knew she had to be involved.
“As an immigrant myself, I could imagine the fear and devastation of the Haitian community and I felt compelled to reach out,” she said.
Williams immediately got involved in the NE Florida Temporary Protected Status (TPS) response, even traveling out to the Baker County Detention facility in Macclenny to assist Haitians in immigration detention. Immediately after the earthquake, more than 100 Haitians slated for deportation were transferred from South Florida to the Baker facility. They were isolated and confused about their legal options. Williams was able to provide some support.
Nicolle Piquet, also a FCSL grad, took on a complex Haitian immigration case. Piquet participated in FCSL’s Immigrant Rights Clinic as a student, and although she now practices in insurance defense, Piquet wanted to help out and gain more experience in immigration.
Holland & Knight attorney Marlysha Myrthil gathered colleagues Patrick Patangan and Ricky Bedoya, and all accepted the cases of pro bono Haitian clients pursuing Temporary Protected Status.
Additionally, Myrthil reviewed online educational resources provided by national immigration organizations and made recommendations to the team of new pro bono attorneys.
FCSL’s Immigrant Rights Professor Ericka Curran volunteered to supervise FCSL grads taking Haitian TPS cases.
“I am so impressed with the commitment of these young attorneys. They have put in long hours on these cases, but I also think they have learned from the experience as well. Taking on a pro bono case is a great way to learn a new area of law or keep your skills sharp,” Curran said.
Law students have also been involved with client scheduling and interviewing.
Many of the cases in the Jacksonville area required experienced immigration and criminal defense attorneys. Experienced attorneys like the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Jacksonville Chair, David Vedder, jumped into action and took on a complicated case. “Vedder is a board certified immigration attorney with over 25 years of experience, and he was the first person I called for help,” Curran said.
Vedder also recruited his colleagues with experience in the area of post-conviction relief, such as attorney William Kent, who collaborated with Vedder and FCSL’s Immigrant Rights Clinic on a case.
“It is inspiring to see experienced AILA lawyers and those new to practice willing to donate their time and expertise to such a vulnerable community,” Vedder said.
The pooling of time and resources of these pro bono attorneys exemplifies the power of collaboration on behalf of people in need.
“With the extension of the deadline for the filing of the application for Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants, we expect that more eligible people will come forward and request assistance,” states Curran. “Attorneys interested in assisting these clients do not need immigration expertise. The online resources are very practical and usable. Now that some of our local attorneys have experience with the process, they are willing to serve as a resource for new pro bono attorneys.”
Attorneys interested in assisting Haitian immigrants with TPS filings should contact Kathy Para, Pro Bono Development Coordinator, [email protected].