LSU Law’s Immigration Clinic celebrated successful asylum claims during the summer and spring semester.
Over the summer, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services approved two Immigrant Relative Petitions filed by LSU Law student Justin Spears (’19) for one of the Turkish individuals for whom the Clinic won asylum in the spring.
Also this summer, after seven months in limbo, the New Orleans Asylum Office granted asylum to two more Turkish citizens. This approval brings the Immigration Law Clinic’s asylum record up to 23 for 23.
During the Spring 2018 Semester students won asylum for 11 immigrants who fled gang and domestic persecution in Honduras, government persecution in Turkey, and potential government and terrorist persecution in Bangladesh. LSU Law students who worked those cases include Alex Morgan (’18), Lauren Ferand (’18), Lara Herstrom (’19), Jacob Joffrion (’19), Anne Lanier (’19), Payton Lott (’18), Justin Spears (’19), Carmen Guidry (’19), MJ Hernandez (’19), Lana Georgiou (’19), Jourdan Curet (’19), Meredith Hamblen (’19), and Jackie Duhon (’19).
In addition, student clinicians won lawful permanent residency for an individual who was on the cusp of losing the protection of the Temporary Protected Status granted to Salvadorans and has been in the country since 1999 when she was only 15 years old. The case was complicated after the asylee’s paperwork was destroyed in the 2016 flood, but thanks to what LSU Law professor and Immigration Clinic director Lauren Aronson called “some extra fancy footwork to submit a persuasive application” by Chris Chesney (’19), the client’s status was rectified.
Finally, Anne Lanier (’19) drafted and found success in a complicated Motion to Reopen, Rescind an In Absentia Removal Order and Terminate proceedings on behalf of an unaccompanied immigrant child.
