2004 Annual Report

C A T H O L I C L E G A L I M M I G R A T I O N N E T W O R K , I N C .

CL IN IC2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T

for Immigrantsfor ImmigrantsJUSTICE

About Us..........................................................1

Mission Statement.............................................1

Explanation of Agencies....................................1

Message from CLINIC’s Board Chairman and Executive Director ......................................2

Making a Dream a Reality ................................3

Citizenship.................................................3

Deaf Brothers Receive Contrasting Results for Citizenship.....................................4

Immigrant Empowerment, Civic Participation and Integration...............5

Serving Those Who Serve .................................6

Religious Immigration Services ....................6

Making the System More Fair ............................8

Advocacy and Federal Litigation .................8Pro Bono Development................................9

Public Education and Media Relations .......10

Defending At-Risk Women, Children and Families .................................................12

Asylum Seekers and Torture Survivors ......................................12

Minors in Detention ..................................13

Victims of Violence: Legal and Social Services.........................................14

Serving Vulnerable Newcomers .......................16

Immigrant Workers’ Justice Project ............16

Asylee Information and Referral Project .....17

Expanding Legal Services................................18

Conferences and the Annual Convening ....18

Attorney-of-the-Day Hotline ......................19

Immigration Law Training .........................19

Immigration Management Project ..............20

Publications and Newsletters .....................21

Upholding the Rights of Detained Immigrants ...22

Detained Long-Term Residents ...................22

Detention Program Development ...............23

Mentally Ill Detainees ...............................23

Indefinite Detainees ..................................24

Legal Rights Orientation ...........................26

2004 Board of Directors .................................28

2004 Diocesan Advisory Committee ................29

Staff Directory ................................................30

2004 Affiliate Member Agencies .....................32

2004 Individual Donors ..................................36

2004 Religious Institute Funders.......................38

2004 Institutional Funders ...............................39

Statement of Financial Position ........................40

Statement of Activities .....................................42

Annual Report Dedication to James Michael Hoffman..................................43

Table of Contents

COVER PHOTO CREDITS

Man Holding Photo (“My Keepsake”) by Paula EndoAsian Daughter and Mom by Mandy MorganAfrican Couple by Mandy MorganLittle Boy Holding Flag by Jal Schrof www.viewmyevent.comHappy Couple in Front of Crowd by Jal SchrofHispanic Mother and Baby © Laura Sikes

CLINIC

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CLINIC advocates for transparent,fair and generous immigrationpolicies. It represents one expressionof the Catholic Church’s commitmentto the full membership of migrants intheir chosen society. CLINIC and itsmember agencies serve the mostvulnerable migrants, such as refugees,asylum seekers, detainees, families inneed of reunification, laborers

abused in the workplace, victims ofdomestic violence and survivors of human trafficking.

In 1988, the United States CatholicConference (USCC) establishedCLINIC as a legally distinct nonprofitorganization to support a rapidlygrowing network of community-basedimmigration programs. CLINIC’snetwork originally comprised 17

programs. It has since increased to 150 programs in 245 office loca-tions. The network employs roughly1,000 attorneys and accredited representatives who assist more than100,000 low-income immigrants eachyear. CLINIC and its memberagencies serve low-income immi-grants regardless of race, religion,gender, ethnic group or other distinguishing characteristic.

About UsEXPLANATION OF AGENCIES

Legislation passed in the aftermath of the

September 11 terrorist attacks dismantled

the former Immigration and Natural-

ization Service (INS) and created the

Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

This legislation brought about several impor-

tant changes to the delivery of immigration

services and enforcement of our nation's

immigration laws. The immigration benefits

functions and the immigration enforcement

functions of the former INS were separated.

In March 2003, immigration petitions and

applications such as immigrant visa peti-

tions, naturalization applications, and

applications for asylum status were

transferred to U.S. Citizenship and

Immigration Services (USCIS).

Enforcement functions including the Border

Patrol and inspections at points-of-entry

were transferred to Customs and Border

Protection (CBP), while detention and

removal operations, intelligence, and

investigations were transferred to the Immi-

gration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Immigration Courts and the Board

of Immigration Appeals, part of the

Executive Office of Immigration Review

(EOIR), remain within the U.S. Department

of Justice. Similarly, the Office of Refugee

Resettlement (ORR), which works to assist

refugee and other special populations,

remains within the Department of Health

and Human Services.

“To enhance and expand delivery oflegal services to indigent and low-income immigrants principallythrough diocesan immigrationprograms and to meet the immigra-tion needs identified by the CatholicChurch in the United States.”

CLINIC fulfills its mission by

m Providing a full range of legal andnon-legal support services to 150member Catholic Charities anddiocesan legal immigrationprograms that serve poor

immigrants seeking family reunifi-cation, citizenship and protectionfrom persecution and violence.

m Creating, funding and managingdirect legal service projects thatare national in scope and thus help overwhelmed, local member agencies.

m Representing archdioceses,dioceses and religious congrega-tions that need foreign-bornpriests, nuns and lay religiousworkers to serve immigrantcommunities in the United States.

CLINIC’s mission and activities areguided by the Catholic principle ofsubsidiarity. Subsidiarity leadsCLINIC to respect the roles andcapacities of its community-basedmember agencies. It encourages themto assume as much responsibility forlocal needs as they can. This allowsCLINIC to focus its resources onneeds that local member agenciescannot meet. In this way, CLINICmaximizes the productivity of itsprograms nationwide.

Mission Statement

CLINIC

C A T H O L I C L E G A L I M M I G R A T I O N N E T W O R K , I N C .2

If the Catholic Legal ImmigrationNetwork, Inc. (CLINIC) did notexist, the Catholic Church wouldneed to create it. CLINIC providesinvaluable service to low-income andat-risk newcomers throughout theUnited States.

It does so primarily by providingtraining and support services to thenation’s largest network of charitablelegal programs for immigrants, whichoperate within Catholic Charitiesagencies and dioceses. CLINICdirectly serves particularly vulnerableimmigrant populations, includingpersons in detention, individualsfleeing persecution, elderly refugees,lawful permanent residents and low-wage laborers. It also representsCatholic dioceses, archdioceses andreligious institutes who wish tosponsor foreign–born priests and religious to work in the United

States. By engaging the media andadvocating with officials from theDepartment of Homeland Securityand the Department of Justice,CLINIC helps to fix flaws in the U.S. immigration system.

CLINIC’s work has never been moreimportant. The terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11, 2001 led to a newemphasis on national security and our nation’s immigration system. The Catholic Church values securityand recognizes the right of a sover-eign state to control its borders infurtherance of the common good.However, Church teaching alsoemphasizes the God-given rights and responsibilities of newcomers,including the right to migrate in orderto work, to live with family and to befree from persecution.

In 2004, CLINIC’s Board ofDirectors, along with the U.S.Conference of Catholic Bishops’Committee on Migration, initiatedJustice for Immigrants, A Journey ofHope: The Catholic Campaign forImmigration Reform. This campaignwill unify and focus the efforts of theCatholic Church in the United Statesin support of immigration reform.The Church supports legislation thatwould (1) enable undocumented residents to earn permanent legalstatus in the United States; (2) allowfuture workers to enter and to work in a safe, humane and regulatedmanner; and (3) allow for timelyfamily reunification.

During the coming year, CLINIClooks forward to promoting and,hopefully, to implementing thesechanges that are aimed at promotingjustice for immigrants in the United States.

Message from the BoardChairman and Executive Director

Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzioBishop of BrooklynChairman, CLINIC Board of Directors

Donald KerwinExecutive Director

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T

CITIZENSHIPTHE NEED: The strength of theUnited States depends in part on itsinclusiveness and the integration of itsimmigrant families. Newcomers needlegal, social and educational assistanceto guide them through the complexprocess of obtaining citizenship.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINIC advo-cates nationally for fair, high-qualityand affordable immigration servicesfor all newcomers. In the past sixyears, CLINIC and its network ofmember agencies have guided tens ofthousands of immigrants and refugeeson the journey towards citizenship.

CLINIC and its member agenciesfocus their citizenship efforts on themost vulnerable and disenfranchisedimmigrant populations. More than70,000 elderly, low-income, low-literate, disabled and persecutednewcomers have achieved citizenshipthrough CLINIC’s projects.

CLINIC also promotes citizen-ship through

m The creation of a plan to natu-ralize the nearly 8 million legalpermanent residents currentlyeligible for citizenship.

m Advanced naturalization training to nonprofitimmigration counselors.

m National advocacy with govern-ment immigration authorities whoare working on a revision of theU.S. Naturalization Test.

m Recruitment of Knights ofColumbus volunteers in Dallas,Los Angeles and Long Island to assist citizenship ceremoniesand workshops.

m Publications, including thedistribution of more than 1,200

copies of Citizenship for Us: A Handbook on Naturalization& Citizenship.

Making a Dream a Reality

A woman displays the U.S. flag at a naturalization ceremony in Seattle, WA.

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CLINIC


Their story highlights the capricious-ness of the U.S. immigration system,according to Laura Burdick, aCLINIC program director who metthe brothers at a citizenship workshopin Arlington, VA.

Satar Reangber, 43 at the time of his swearing-in ceremony, andhis brother Salam, 40, arrived inAlexandria, VA almost twenty yearsago as refugees fleeing the Sovietinvasion of Afghanistan.

Experienced tailors in Afghanistan,they found jobs doing alterations inWashington, DC. The brothers, whonever learned to read or write in theirnative Dari, communicate with eachother in their unique sign languageand with their family by reading lips inDari. They tried taking sign languageclasses in English, but found them too difficult.

After their sister helped them applyfor citizenship in 1998, Satar’s file

was lost and Salam’s application wasrejected because immigration officialswrongly assumed he was capable of taking a citizenship test despite his disabilities.

Burdick helped appeal Salam’s caseand assisted Satar in reopening hisapplication for citizenship. Salameventually obtained a notice for a

citizenship ceremony in June 2005,the same day Satar’s fiancée inAfghanistan received a visa to join himin the United States.

The Washington Post published anarticle about the Reangber brothers’story on the front page of its July 16,2004 issue.

4

Born deaf and having never learned to read or write, Salam and Satar Reangbercommunicate in their own sign language.

Two deaf Afghani brothers

attended a bittersweet

citizenship ceremony in July

2004. Both brothers had

applied for citizenship six

years before, but only

one brother took the natural-

ization oath that day.

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Deaf Brothers Receive Contrasting Results for Citizenship

CLINICIMMIGRANTEMPOWERMENT,CIVIC PARTICIPATIONAND INTEGRATIONTHE NEED: Too many low-income immigrants live on themargins of our society. Immigrantcommunities must be empowered toidentify and address barriers to theirfull participation in U.S. society.

CLINIC'S RESPONSE: Three yearsago, CLINIC and the CatholicCampaign for Human Developmentestablished the National ImmigrantEmpowerment Project (NIEP). NIEPprovided financial support and tech-nical assistance to 17 grassroots, immigrant-led organizations in 15cities that identified and broke downsystemic barriers to the integration ofimmigrants into their communities.

Through NIEP, CLINIC has encour-aged immigrants to become activeparticipants in U.S. society whileimproving neighborhoods, schools,law enforcement practices, workplaceconditions and laws that affect immi-grant access to benefits and services.

The NIEP project concluded inNovember 2004 with significantresults. NIEP-organizing agencies

m Collectively trained more than1,549 women, 1,278 men and 643 youth to become immigrant leaders.

m Mobilized more than 14,267women, 11,981 men and 6,400youth to engage in 2,062 separateadvocacy activities. These effortsinvolved promoting access tohealthcare, affordable housing,employment, education, trans-portation, childcare, driver’slicenses and bank accounts.

m Held local leaders, public officials and institutions (such asschool systems and city councils)accountable to immigrant needsand concerns.

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 5

NATIONAL IMMIGRANTEMPOWERMENT PROJECT (NIEP)GRANTEES

Austin Interfaith Sponsoring Committee,Austin, TX

Border Network for Human Rights, El Paso, TX

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of RockvilleCentre, Amityville, NY

Central American Resource Center(CARECEN), Washington, DC

Chelsea Latino Immigrant Committee,Chelsea, MA

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

Colonias Development Council, Las Cruces, NM

Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting CommunityOrganization, Martinez, CA

El Buen Samaritano, Austin, TX

Iowa Immigrant Rights Network, Des Moines, IA

National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, Los Angeles, CA

National Coalition for Dignity and Amnestyfor Undocumented Immigrants, Toledo, OH

Sunflower Community Action, Wichita, KS

Tenants’ and Workers’ Support Committee,Alexandria, VA

VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project,Portland, OR

Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center,Morristown, NJ

The Workplace Project, Hempstead, NY

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RELIGIOUSIMMIGRATIONSERVICES THE NEED: Because the number ofU.S.-born citizens pursuing vocationswithin the Catholic Church hassteadily declined during the pastseveral years, many dioceses arewithout individuals to serve the spiritual needs of rapidly growingCatholic immigrant communities.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINIC’sDivision of Religious ImmigrationServices (DRIS) assists dioceses, arch-dioceses and religious institutes tobring an average of 160 foreign-bornpriests, sisters, seminarians and layper-sons to the United States each year toserve in Catholic agencies, parishesand schools.

Steady immigration to the UnitedStates of foreign-born Catholics isexpanding the ethnic, cultural and

linguistic diversity of the CatholicChurch. At the same time, fewer U.S.men and women are entering theseminary or religious life.

For these reasons, the Church bringsforeign-born religious workers intothe United States to provide for thespiritual needs of foreign- and native-born Catholics. Their services enablethe Church to make the sacramentsmore accessible, deliver more compre-hensive social services, engage ineffective spiritual and pastoralministry, and instruct children andadults in their faith.

DRIS is the primary agency in theCatholic Church assisting religiousorganizations to bring foreign-bornreligious workers to the United States.DRIS serves 251 religious institutes,dioceses and archdioceses, up from135 in 1999.

The staff consists of five attorneys,one senior immigration specialist andan administrative assistant. TheDivision maintains more than 970open cases, compared with five yearsago when three staff handled about400 cases.


CLINICHIGHLIGHTS OF THE NATIONAL IMMIGRANTEMPOWERMENT PROJECT

Justice in the WorkplaceThe Workplace Project held a meetingbetween the police chief of Suffolk County,NY and more than 40 workers to discussenforcing laws against the non-payment ofwages. The police chief agreed to initiatecriminal investigations against delinquentemployers and meet regularly with workers tofollow up on these investigations regardless ofworkers’ immigration status. The organizationalso held protests against five local employersthat resulted in the recuperation of more than$50,000 in lost wages.

Right to HousingAustin Interfaith Sponsoring Committee inAustin, TX held immigrant-led meetings withcity officials to discuss housing issues. As aresult, residents of a dilapidated apartmentbuilding where 35 percent of the tenants areimmigrants were able to get the owners torepair the plumbing and cooling systems,address safety issues and organize a residentcouncil. Following this victory, immigrant resi-dents from another local apartment complexbegan to organize to address similarproblems in their building.

Promoting Parental Participation in EducationChelsea Latino Immigrant Committee inChelsea, MA registered more than 800 newvoters in 2004 and witnessed a record Latinoturnout in the local education committeeelection. Thirty percent of all voters in theelection were Latino, and two Latinas wereelected to serve on the school committee.

Serving Those Who Serve

A Kenyan priest chats in Spanish withmembers of his predominately Hispanicparish in Chicago.

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DRIS offers a variety of legal servicesto its clients. The majority of DRIS cases involve helping religious immigrants

m Apply for religious worker visas toenter the United States.

m Extend or change their non-immi-grant status.

m Seek permanent resident status asreligious workers.

m Travel outside the United States.

m Obtain U.S. citizenship.

Through these services, DRIS enablesCLINIC to fulfill its mission tosupport the Catholic Church in theUnited States.

DRIS Program Highlights:

m In 2004 DRIS offered its diocesanand religious institute staff threeworkshops on basic and advancedreligious immigration law in NewYork, Brooklyn and Boston. InOakland, CA, DRIS presented a two-day conference focusing on religious worker and student visas for individuals in religious formation.

m The Division continued publishinga newsletter that gives immigra-tion policy news and tips to clientsand began work on a pamphletthat offers advice to individualsapplying for a temporary stay inthe United States.

m DRIS staff gave presentations atthe annual meetings of nationalCatholic organizations andregional gatherings of religiousleaders in Pennsylvania,Wisconsin, Illinois, Alaska andWashington, DC.

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 7

CLINICDRIS is the primary agency

in the Catholic Church

assisting religious organiza-

tions to bring foreign-born

religious workers to the

United States. DRIS serves

251 religious institutes,

dioceses and archdioceses,

up from 135 in 1999.

CLINIC

ADVOCACY ANDFEDERAL LITIGATIONTHE NEED: Certain immigration lawsand policies undermine the rights anddignity of immigrants.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICadvocates for the just treatment of immigrants and litigates whennecessary to overturn unfair immigration policies. CLINIC tacklesproblems faced by low-income immi-grants that can only be resolvedthrough advocacy and litigation.

Concerns about terrorist threats havegiven rise to a host of challenges forCLINIC and other immigrant rightsagencies. Confusing policies, lack of coordination among governmentagencies, bureaucratic inefficiency and increasingly restrictive legislation

have made the prospect of gaininglegal status unobtainable for far toomany immigrants.

CLINIC’s Division of PublicEducation and Advocacy works incollaboration with Migration andRefugee Services of the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishops toappeal to the Department ofHomeland Security (DHS) and theDepartment of Justice ExecutiveOffice for Immigration Review tochange the policies and procedures that impede newcomers fromobtaining immigration benefits for which they are legally eligible.

CLINIC’s advocacy efforts emphasizedetention-related policies and prac-tices because CLINIC operates thenation’s largest detention representa-tion project for asylum seekers,

victims of torture and indefinitedetainees. CLINIC also organizesconferences on immigration policy issues.

CLINIC works with its partners tocomment on proposed regulationsand advocate for appropriate revisions.In addition, CLINIC serves as thelead agency among national immi-grant advocacy groups on DHS transi-tion issues related to immigrationenforcement. CLINIC actively solicitsthe input of its affiliates and keepsthem updated on policy changes.

CLINIC is effective on advocacyissues because it collaborates closelywith diocesan affiliates and localpartner agencies, and it provides directservices to detained noncitizens and immigrant religious.


Making the System More FairConfusing policies, lack

of coordination among

agencies, bureaucratic

inefficiency and

increasingly restrictive

legislation have made the

prospect of gaining legal

status unobtainable for far

too many immigrants.

Timothy J. Keefer of the Department of Homeland Security

Office for Civil Rights speaks with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

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By sharing individual stories drawnfrom the cases of its partner agenciesand in-house attorneys with govern-ment officials, CLINIC is able to illus-trate problems, highlight troublesomepatterns and give issues a face and avoice. In the past, it has produceddetailed policy reports.

In 2004 CLINIC started publishingan electronic newsletter, At Issue:News From CLINIC’s Case Files,which documents the cases of vulner-able clients served by its network. Sign-on letters, media outreach,personal meetings with governmentofficials and the filing of amicus briefsin federal court on important immi-gration law and policy issues are someof the most common methods usedby CLINIC to raise awareness ofemerging issues and trouble-some policies.

CLINIC’s advocacy priorities in 2004included reducing backlogs inprocessing applications for immigra-tion benefits, supporting alternativesto immigrant detention, obtainingrelease under appropriate safeguards for indefinite detainees, eliminatingunacceptable delays in naturalizationoath ceremonies and fighting theunjust prosecution of asylum seekers.

PRO BONODEVELOPMENTBoard of ImmigrationAppeals (BIA) Pro Bono Project

THE NEED: Without legal representation, detained immigrants have little hope ofwinning their cases before the Boardof Immigration Appeals (BIA), thenation’s highest administrative appealscourt for immigration cases. Withouta lawyer, it is extremely difficult fordetainees to present a legal claim toremain in the county.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: Imple-mented in 2001, CLINIC’s BIA ProBono Project has become one of thenation’s most successful pro bonoinitiatives. The BIA Project matchesdetained, indigent immigrants withvolunteer lawyers who represent thembefore the BIA.

Since the Project’s inception, CLINIC and its Project partners—the American Immigration LawFoundation, the NationalImmigration Project of the NationalLawyers Guild and the Capital AreaImmigrants’ Rights Coalition—haverecruited more than 350 pro bonoattorneys, including students from law school immigration and appellate

litigation clinics. More than 30 lawfirms are now involved in the Projectand CLINIC conducts several trainingsessions for pro bono attorneys everyyear. In Los Angeles, attorneys wererecruited during immigration work-shops given by CLINIC staff.

In 2004, the Division continued tocoordinate and expand the Board ofImmigration Appeals (BIA) Pro BonoProject. The Project was initiallyimplemented in January 2001 toincrease the level of pro bono repre-sentation to detained immigrants whoare without representation before the BIA.

While assisting detained immigrantsremains the Project’s priority,CLINIC continued its efforts in 2004to expand the BIA Project to includenon-detained, indigent individuals.

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CLINICBIA PROJECT CLIENTWINS SUPREMECOURT CASE

Josue Leocal, a lawful permanent resident of theUnited States for nearly 20 years and the father of four U.S. citizen children,was placed in removalproceedings after pleadingguilty to driving under theinfluence of alcohol (DUI).

Like thousands of detained immigrants each year, Leocal appeared unrepresented athis removal hearing, where an immigrationjudge ruled that his DUI conviction constituteda crime of violence and ordered him removedfrom the United States as an aggravatedfelon. Faced with the prospect of beingpermanently separated from his family, Leocalfiled an appeal to the Board of ImmigrationAppeals (BIA), the nation's highest administra-tive immigration appeals court.

Through the BIA Project, Leocal's case wasmatched with a team of pro bono attorneys at King & Spalding LLP, which representedhim before the BIA, the 11th U.S. CircuitCourt of Appeals and ultimately the U.S.Supreme Court.

Without the pro bono representation of King& Spalding, it is unlikely that Leocal's casewould have progressed beyond the BIA andonto the Supreme Court, allowing for theunanimous decision that enabled Leocal toreturn to the country and his family.

CLINIC ExecutiveDirector Donald Kerwin

presents an award toAugusta Ridley, an

attorney from King &Spalding LLP. King &

Spalding attorneys wonthe U.S. Supreme Courtcase Leocal v. Ashcroft

on behalf of a clientthey received through

the BIA Project.

MANDY MORGAN

The Project concentrates on findingrepresentation for asylum seekers,minors and persons who received a favorable decision by an immigra-tion judge, only to have that decision subsequently appealed by the government.

Additionally in 2004, the Departmentof Justice completed an independentstudy to evaluate the BIA Project. Thestudy found that immigrants providedwith representation through theProject were up to four times morelikely to win a favorable decisionbefore the Board than those withoutlegal counsel. In addition, the studyfound that the briefs filed on behalf of immigrants by pro bono attorneyspresented the Board with a betterunderstanding of the appellate issues,expediting the review process.

In 2004, the Project secured counselfor 50 immigrant detainees whowould otherwise have appearedunrepresented before the Board. Inmany cases, the BIA ruled in theirfavor or returned the cases to lowercourts for additional hearings. Severaldetainees were released after monthsin custody, highlighting the impor-tance of legal representation. Severalattorneys who received unfavorableBIA decisions have filed appeals infederal court.

What types of individuals does theBIA Project assist?

m Asylum seekers – persons forcedto flee their homelands due to persecution.

m Long-time U.S. lawful permanentresidents (“green card” holders)who have valid claims to relieffrom removal (including claimsto U.S. citizenship) and who risk separation from their familymembers and communities if removed.

m Minors in Detention – childrenwho are detained and face thedaunting process of presentingclaims to relief from deportationwithout legal representation.

m Persons granted the right to stayin the United States, but whoremain in detention because theU.S. government has appealed animmigration judge’s decision.

PUBLIC EDUCATIONAND MEDIARELATIONSTHE NEED: Our nation’s immigra-tion laws and policies are felt mostacutely by at-risk or particularlyvulnerable immigrants. Docu-mentation and media coverage of the human impact of U.S.

policies are crucial to advocacy efforts,which seek to create a more justimmigration system.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICuses a variety of advocacy tools tobring about policy change. In the pastyear, CLINIC has assumed a leader-ship role among non-governmentalorganizations and the Department ofHomeland Security (DHS) in areasrelated to immigration enforcement.

CLINIC regularly organizes nationalmeetings with the leadership of DHSenforcement agencies to discuss issuesconcerning immigrants in removalproceedings and detention, inspec-tions at ports-of-entry, and the Border Patrol.

CLINIC also regularly writescomments on proposed federal rulesand regulations and actively engageswith U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Services (USCIS), theservice component of DHS. CLINICoften drafts national sign-on lettersopposing practices and policies thatunduly interfere with immigrants’access to justice.

By engaging various media strategies,CLINIC has been proactive in raisingawareness of the systemic barriers thatobstruct newcomers to the UnitedStates from receiving legal status and


CLINICCLINIC’s BIA Pro Bono

Project concentrates on

finding representation for

asylum seekers, minors and

persons who received a favor-

able decision by an immi-

gration judge, only

to have that decision

subsequently appealed by

the government.

that strip them of due process.Highlighting issues ranging from theunjust prosecution of asylum seekersto the ordeal of immigrants that aredetained indefinitely, CLINIC gener-ated news stories in media outletsthroughout the country including TheMiami Herald, The Washington Post,the South Florida Sun-Sentinel andThe Star-Ledger.

The media plays an important role in bringing about change.Lawmakers are slow to act unless flawsin their policies are identified andmade public. The more the media andthe public are aware of an issue, themore likely policymakers will be tomake the necessary changes. CLINIChas worked to generate greater aware-ness of issues through

m Writing and placing op-eds for board members.

m Developing stories based on theexperiences of the network’sclients and pitching them to journalists.

m Distributing press releases thatdraw attention to emerging issues.

m Serving as a knowledgeable andavailable resource for journalistsresearching immigration issues.

m Building a database of more than200 journalists who cover immi-gration issues.

By collecting individual stories fromaffiliates across the country, CLINIChas been able to identify patterns ofproblems with different aspects ofimmigration policy at a national level.

Stories of the hardships that individ-uals have suffered in their quest togain legal status have allowedCLINIC to put a human face on theissues. Once policymakers, and moreimportantly, the voting public are ableto see that these problems affect realpeople, there is even more pressure tomake the appropriate changes.

CLINIC works closely with its affiliates and fellow advocacy groupsin developing localized stories forregional newspapers. This allowsCLINIC to maximize coverage of anissue and ensures a consistent messageand stronger working relationshipswith its affiliates.

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 11

CLINICBy engaging various media

strategies, CLINIC has

been proactive in raising

awareness of the systemic

barriers that obstruct

newcomers to the United

States from receiving legal

status and that strip them

of due process.

ASYLUM SEEKERSAND TORTURESURVIVORSTHE NEED: Asylum seekers fleeingpolitical persecution come to theUnited States to find safety andprotection. But many are detainedupon arrival, locked in jails for monthsor even years. Their access to legalrepresentation is limited since mostdetention centers are located far away from family, legal and othersupport systems.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICoperates the nation’s largest legalrepresentation program for asylumseekers in immigration detention.Distance hinders access to legal representatives since traveling to thedetention center to meet with theclient can take all day.

Detained asylum seekers face the difficulty of gathering supportingdocuments from friends and family far away from detention facilities.Detention can also preclude medicalscreenings by volunteer physicianswho can substantiate torture claims.Detention causes many worthy asylumseekers to abandon their cases alto-gether and return to countries wherethey face renewed harm.

CLINIC's Special Projects Divisionsupports detention lawyers in sixCLINIC offices: Boston, MA; NewOrleans, LA.; Los Angeles, SanFrancisco and Lancaster, CA; and El Paso, TX. Detention lawyers in these offices represent asylumseekers and victims of torture as well as other noncitizens.


CLINICDefending At-Risk Women,Children and Families

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AN ALTERNATE FORM OFDETENTION

CLINIC is the only national organization in the

country that is monitoring the implementation

of the Department of Homeland Security’s

Intensive Supervision Appearance Program

(ISAP). ISAP is now operating in eight cities.

It requires formerly detained asylum seekers

to wear an electronic monitoring device and

restricts them to their sponsors’ homes for the

majority of the day.

The program is the result of a Congressional

appropriation for “alternatives to detention.”

Current law allows asylum seekers arriving at

U.S. borders who demonstrate a credible fear

of persecution to be released while awaiting a

hearing before an immigration judge.

In some parts of the country, asylum seekers

are routinely released. The widespread use

of electronic monitoring devices on asylum

seekers is not an “alternative” to detention,

but rather an alternate form of detention

for people who have met the criteria

for release.

CLINICAsylum Seekers and TortureSurvivors Project Highlights:

m In the fall of 2004, the SpecialProjects Division devolved two ofits most successful asylum repre-sentation sites to diocesan affiliatesin Miami and Newark.

m CLINIC managed the New JerseyDetention Representation Project,a collaboration of four nonprofitorganizations that representdetained asylum seekers inElizabeth, NJ.

m CLINIC served as the lead agencyfor a group of nonprofit organiza-tions that represents detainedtorture survivors in New York/New Jersey, Miami and NewOrleans under a subcontract issuedby the Department of Health andHuman Services’ Office ofRefugee Resettlement.

m CLINIC attorneys worked indetention facilities to identifyimmigrants with strong cases forpolitical asylum or TortureConvention relief. CLINIC staffreceived favorable decisions innine of 15 asylum and torturesurvivor cases.

MINORS INDETENTIONTHE NEED: In 2004, immigrationauthorities detained an estimated8,000 unaccompanied noncitizenchildren. Some of these children wereapprehended while trying to enter theUnited States, either alone or in thecompany of smugglers or traffickers.Others had been abused, abandonedor otherwise separated from theirfamilies in the United States.

Most detained children are teenagers,but some are as young as 2 years old.They are generally held in shelters,and some are placed in jail-like stateand local juvenile facilities. Theyremain in custody while theDepartment of Homeland Security(DHS) seeks to return them to theirhome countries.

The federal government does notprovide indigent, unaccompaniedchildren with legal counsel, or anyother form of adult guidance, whilethey undergo the removal process.The federal government also makes noattempt to ensure that children have asafe place to stay if they are deportedto their home countries.

13

A Burmese asylumseeker sleeps afterbeing released from animmigration detentionfacility in Guam.

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T

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Most detained children are

teenagers, but some are as

young as 2 years old.

They are generally held

in shelters, and some are

placed in jail-like state and

local juvenile facilities.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: In 2004,CLINIC lawyers in Los Angeles metwith all detained noncitizen childrenin the area who were indigent andunrepresented to inform them aboutU.S. immigration law and advise themof their legal rights in removalproceedings. The lawyers sought toassist the children in locating familymembers and securing release and freelegal services.

For children who remained detainedand had a viable claim to politicalasylum or some other form of relieffrom removal, CLINIC lawyers eithermatched the children with volunteerlawyers or represented the children inimmigration court themselves. In2004, changes in the government’sdetention policies resulted in far fewerchildren being detained in LosAngeles than in previous years. In2005, the federal government onceagain plans to increase the number ofchildren detained in Los Angeles.

During 2004, CLINIC held 83 legalrights workshops for 90 children,consulted individually with 211children, fielded more than 2,000phone calls for advice and referrals ondetained children’s issues, and repre-sented children seeking release andpermanent status in the United States.On the basis of knowledge gained

through this work, CLINIC has beenin the forefront of advocacy withfederal government agencies toimprove the conditions of detentionfor detained children.

VICTIMS OFVIOLENCE: LEGALAND SOCIALSERVICESTHE NEED: Violence by familymembers and strangers afflicts immi-grants just as it does their U.S. citizenneighbors. Immigrant survivors ofviolence are particularly vulnerable tothe power and control of abusersbecause they typically rely upontheir permanent resident or U.S.citizen spouses to legalize their immigration status.

Without this status, undocumentednoncitizens cannot legally work, andthey may become economicallydependent on their spouse. Victims of domestic violence are often trappedin violent relationships because theyfear deportation, separation from theirchildren and impoverishment.

In 1994, Congress enacted theViolence Against Women Act(VAWA), which was intended toprevent family violence and increasemethods of intervention in abusive

situations. Many immigrants are nowable to apply on their own for lawfulpermanent residence by showingevidence of abuse, rather than relyingon their abusive spouses to file theirapplications for them.

Immigrant children also find them-selves victims of violence. VAWApermits child survivors of domesticviolence to apply for immigrationstatus. In addition, abused and aban-doned noncitizen children may be


CLINICDuring 2004, CLINIC

held 83 legal rights worksshops

for 90 children, consulted

individually with 211

children, fielded more than

2,000 phone calls for advice

and referrals on detained

children’s issues, and

represented children seeking

release and permanent status

in the United States.HUMAN ISSUES COLLABORATIVE

eligible to apply for Special ImmigrantJuvenile status, which, if granted,provides them with permanent statusin the United States.

Survivors of human trafficking and other serious crimes are alsoeligible for temporary or permanentlegal status.

Although these favorable laws are onthe books, survivors of violence oftendo not seek help due to ignorance ofthe law’s protections, intimidation by the abuser, lack of resources, andcultural and language barriers. Thereis an immense need for expandedoutreach and local immigration practi-tioners with expertise in this area ofthe law.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICsupports legal and social serviceprograms to help foreign-born womenand men to escape from abusivespouses and to obtain legal residenceon their own. CLINIC works closely

with diocesan and other communityprograms that provide shelter, emer-gency housing, food, clothing,employment, job training, restrainingorders, and mental health and legal counseling.

CLINIC advocates with immigrationauthorities for effective implementa-tion of visas for victims of traffickingand other criminal activity andprovides training on the use of these visas.

As part of its program to helpsurvivors of violence, CLINIC has continued to offer trainingsessions on the types of immigrationrelief available to those who havesuffered from abuse or other crimes.It also provides technical assistance toCatholic Charities offices around thecountry that represent these victims.

Through its detention program,CLINIC provides direct representa-tion to children, including childreneligible for VAWA, Special ImmigrantJuvenile Status and temporary visas forcrime and trafficking victims.

CLINIC has co-authored two important manuals for advocatesrepresenting victims of abuse and crime: The VAWA Manual:Immigration Relief for AbusedImmigrants, written with theImmigrant Legal Resource Centerthrough a generous grant from the California Endowment; and A Guide for Legal AdvocatesProviding Services to Victims ofHuman Trafficking, written withMigration and Refugee Services of theUnited States Conference of CatholicBishops and the Legal Aid Foundationof Los Angeles through generous grants from the U.S. Office ofRefugee Resettlement.

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 15

CLINICCLINIC advocates with

immigration authorities

for effective implementation

of visas for victims of

trafficking and other

criminal activity and

provides training on the

use of these visas.

CLINIC

IMMIGRANTWORKERS' JUSTICE PROJECTTHE NEED: Immigrant laborers toooften do not reap the just benefits of their work. They suffer from low,often sub-minimum wages, and otherviolations of employment and laborlaw. Many immigrant laborers alsosuffer from occupational hazards andwork disproportionately in jobs thatdo not provide health insurance orother benefits.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICestablished the Immigrant Workers’Justice Project to help improve thelives of immigrant workers across

the country through training, technical assistance, advocacy and program development.

CLINIC provides technical advice andassistance on employment and laborlaw issues to member offices nation-wide. It also assists member agenciesin outreach to employment and labor groups.

CLINIC's labor attorney respondedto calls from affiliates for legal adviceand materials on enforcement actionsby federal authorities, the SocialSecurity No-Match Program, applica-tions for Individual Tax IdentificationNumbers, workers’ compensation forundocumented workers, correction of

Social Security Administration earningstatements, driver's license require-ments, and the validity and use ofmatricula consular cards.

In 2004, CLINIC’s labor attorneywrote several articles about immigra-tion employment and labor issues forCLINIC's newsletter, served on theboard of directors of the InterfaithCommittee for Worker Justice andconducted a full-day workers’ rightstraining program in Houston, TX.

Immigrant Workers’ Justice Project Highlights:

m The Immigrant Workers’ JusticeProject collaborated with nationalimmigrant organizations andunions to promote immigrantworkers’ rights.

m CLINIC's labor attorney met with staff from Immigration andCustoms Enforcement and staff of the U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Services to discusstheir priorities on worksite law enforcement.

16

Serving Vulnerable NewcomersADVOCATING FOR IMMIGRANTS IN THE SOUTHWEST

CLINIC began a pilot program in October

2003 to assist farm workers and other

low-wage workers in the El Paso, TX and Las

Cruces, NM area. Throughout 2004, CLINIC's

labor attorney in El Paso consulted with farm

workers and community leaders to learn about

the issues confronting these workers and to

provide legal assistance.

In two instances, the attorney convinced

employers to pay their workers the wages

owed to them without resorting to litigation.

The attorney conducted 17 “Know Your

Rights” presentations, educating roughly

1,150 farm workers.

The CLINIC attorney assisted the Las Americas

Refugee & Asylum Project by representing

undocumented immigrant children in immigra-

tion court. He also represented adult detainees

and gave numerous “Know Your Rights”

presentations to detained individuals. By the

end of 2004, CLINIC had negotiated the

transfer of the attorney’s position to Diocesan

Migrant and Refugee Services of El Paso.

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m CLINIC provided small grants toits member agencies to expandlabor education and representationin their communities.

ASYLEEINFORMATION ANDREFERRAL PROJECT THE NEED: Individuals granted political asylum need assistance innavigating the labyrinth of public andprivate resources available to helpthem become self-sufficient and integrate more fully into their new communities.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINIC’sNational Asylee Information andReferral Line provides a centralizedsource of information about asyleeeligibility for services and where theseservices can be obtained.

Each year, about 23,000 people from128 nations are granted politicalasylum in the United States. Asyleeshave suffered persecution in theircountries of origin, forced migration,detention in the United States and theuncertainty of the asylum adjudicationprocess. Many need well-coordinatedand prompt social services to easetheir transition.

CLINIC’s National AsyleeInformation and Referral Line, funded by the U.S. Office of RefugeeResettlement, provides a single,centralized source of accurate infor-mation about service eligibility andprograms across the country. The toll-free phone number is listed in allasylum grant letters issued by the U.S.Citizenship and Immigration ServicesAsylum Office.

The referral line informs asylees aboutmore than 500 local providers ofresettlement services such as Englishlanguage classes, employment trainingand placement assistance, temporarycash assistance and health care.

Speaking 19 languages, the counselorsoffer asylees access to the resourcesthey need to become integrated intotheir new communities. In 2004,4,984 asylees from 69 nations tookadvantage of the line, receiving nearly13,000 referrals.

Colombians, Haitians, Venezuelans,Cameroonians and Ethiopiansaccounted for the largest amount ofcalls, with service providers in Florida,New York, California, Maryland andVirginia receiving the most referrals.

In addition, CLINIC completed anddistributed more than 1,300 copies of an informational pamphlet for

service providers entitled AsyleeEligibility for Resettlement Assistance:A Short Guide.

Federal regulations specify thatrefugees and asylees are eligible for the same resettlement benefits andservices. (People apply for refugeestatus before they arrive in the UnitedStates, while migrants apply for asylumwhen physically present in the UnitedStates.) But while all newly arrivingrefugees are sponsored by resettlementagencies, asylees are not. Thus, asyleesare at a disadvantage in finding thepublic and private resources to helpsmooth their adjustment.

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 17

CLINIC

CLINIC’s National Asylee Information and ReferralLine offers information in 19 languages.

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CALLING CLINIC PAYS OFFFOR ASYLEE

Once Ashok, a native of India, received

asylum status in July 2004, he was entitled

to receive a Social Security card, work

authorization, temporary cash assistance

and food stamps.

Ashok applied for all of these—and hit

every snag possible. Repeated visits to

immigration offices, frustrating meetings

with unhelpful office workers, inconsistent

government regulations and long hours on

the phone proved to be an exasperating and

bewildering experience.

It was after his second trip to the Baltimore

immigration office—and the second time he

was denied an employment authorization

card—that he read about CLINIC’s

National Asylee Information and Referral

Line and called CLINIC. Laura Burdick, a

CLINIC program manager, helped sort out

his problems.

“Laura contacted others in her network and

personally took up the issue with the Baltimore

district office,” Ashok said.

In addition to the employment authorization

card, Burdick also helped Ashok obtain

a Social Security card and apply for a

driver’s license—all of which are crucial

documents for achieving employment and

self-sufficiency.

CONFERENCES AND THE ANNUALCONVENINGTHE NEED: Immigration and refugeeservice providers can increase theireffectiveness through training, sharingbest practices and discussion ofcurrent legal issues. They also benefitfrom the sense of community fosteredby gathering together.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINIC’sseventh annual convening was held inMilwaukee, WI from May 13-15. The convening offered 260 partici-pants a combination of plenarysessions, workshops and opportunitiesfor networking on an array ofimmigration issues.

The first plenary session captured theconvening theme of “Give Me YourTired, Your Poor … The Importanceof Legal Services in Defending theAmerican Dream” by highlighting the important role of legal serviceproviders in the context of the largerimmigrant rights movement andstressing the need for agencies to planfor the next legalization program.

The second plenary session focused onadvocacy and provided practice tipsand strategies for engaging in local and national advocacy.

Participants at the convening chosefrom 24 workshops on selected topics,including non-immigrant visas forvictims of human trafficking and othercrimes; media relations; temporaryprotected status; public benefits;special immigrant juvenile status; and legal research.

CLINIC showed Farmingville, a documentary film about the conflictand tension that arose when thecommunity of Farmingville, NY onLong Island attempted to deal withan influx of about 1,500 day laborers.CLINIC’s Rockville Centre, NY affil-iate shared with attendees their first-hand experiences on how they found aworkable solution for the laborers andthe community.

Other convening activities includeddaily liturgies and an awards luncheonto honor affiliate staff for their manyyears of service. CLINIC alsopresented its first pro bono award tothe law firm of Swidler Berlin ShereffFriedman, LLP. Thurgood Marshall,

Jr., a partner in the firm, was present to accept the award on thefirm’s behalf.

In 2004, CLINIC co-sponsored animmigration law and policy confer-ence in Washington, DC withGeorgetown University Law Centerand the Migration Policy Institute.This one-day conference includedpanel discussions on (1) theDepartment of Homeland Security(DHS) transition; (2) temporaryworker and legalization measures; 3) national security and civil libertiesissues; and (4) detention, interdictionand enforcement developments. Thepanelists included academics, advo-cates and high-level DHS officials.Nearly 200 people participated inwhat is hoped will be an annual event.

CLINIC’s executive director spoke atnumerous conferences during theyear, including the American BarAssociation’s Seneca Project presenta-tion, the annual meeting of theNational Legal Aid and DefenderAssociation, National ImmigrationForum strategy sessions, Notre DameUniversity’s Theology and MigrationConference, the St. Thomas


CLINICExpanding Legal ServicesIn 2004, CLINIC

co-sponsored an immigration

law and policy conference in

Washington, DC with

Georgetown University

Law Center and the

Migration Policy Institute.

This one-day conference

included panel discussions on

(1) the Department of

Homeland Security (DHS)

transition; (2) temporary

worker and legalization

measures; (3) national

security and civil liberties

issues; and (4) detention,

interdiction and enforce-

ment developments.

CLINIC

192 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T

University Law School’s immigrationreform roundtable, the Center forMigration Studies’ annual legalconference, UNITY, Inc.’s annualgathering of minority journalists and a meeting of the GrantmakersConcerned with Immigrants and Refugees.

ATTORNEY-OF-THE-DAY HOTLINETHE NEED: Member agencies andcommunity-based legal agencies faceconstant challenges in interpretingimmigration law and choosing themost effective strategies for repre-senting clients.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: TheAttorney-of-the-day Hotline is a toll-free number available to CLINICaffiliates in need of immediate accessto technical assistance provided byimmigration law experts. Staffassigned to the hotline alternatereceiving calls, answering questionsand performing research.

In 2004, the hotline received about20 calls per day. Questions asked byaffiliates covered such topics as family-based immigration, naturalization,employment authorization and relieffrom removal.

Most inquiries involve both substan-tive legal questions and requests forpractical advice on effective strategiesin representing clients. CLINIC’s staffprovides technical support based ontheir knowledge, access to legal refer-ence materials and collective experi-ence practicing immigration law. Inaddition, the hotline serves as a wayfor CLINIC to monitor problemsacross the immigration field, allowingthe organization to determine futuretraining subjects, newsletter articlesand administrative advocacy priorities.

IMMIGRATION LAW TRAININGTHE NEED: Immigration law ishighly complex and evolving. Low-income immigrants depend on theskill and expertise of nonprofit immi-gration counselors.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICprovides quality immigration trainingto its member agencies’ legal staff.Each year CLINIC helps more than1,000 nonprofit immigration attor-neys and legal counselors expand their expertise.

In response to security concerns in apost-9/11 climate, U.S. immigrationpolicies and procedures have become

more restrictive. Federal court decisions and agency memorandacontinually impact the way statutesand immigration programs are implemented. To stay current withthese changes, affiliate staff needupdated information.

CLINIC offers an annual trainingschedule on substantive legal issues as well as practical skills. Trainingmanuals are regularly updated anddistributed to trainees. These publications are valuable assets tohundreds of nonprofit immigrationprograms nationwide.

CLINIC field office attorneys located in Boston, New York City,Washington, DC, Miami, Chicago andSan Francisco conduct local trainingfor member agencies and other organ-izations. Staff also speak at nationalconferences and assist other networksin training their member agency staff.CLINIC conducts specialized on-sitetraining at member agency officesupon request.

One of CLINIC’s goals is to offerregional training sessions and reducetravel costs often associated withattending courses in distant cities.

CLINIC attorney Shiu-Ming Cheer reviewstraining materials.

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Immigration Law Training Program Highlights:

m CLINIC conducted 57 full ormulti-day training sessions in 24cities across the country.Workshops covered family-basedimmigration; basic immigrationlaw; relief for battered spouses;religious immigration; citizenshipand naturalization; traffickingissues; employment-based immi-gration; and the impact ofcriminal law on immigrants.

m CLINIC staff also presentedtraining on how to improve trial advocacy and immigrationinterviewing, research, and writing skills.

m CLINIC attorneys guided morethan 100 affiliate staff in theprocess of securing and renewingaccreditation credentials to repre-sent immigrants.

IMMIGRATIONMANAGEMENTPROJECT THE NEED: Local nonprofit immi-gration service providers need todevelop, adopt and share best prac-tices in program management,advocacy and fundraising.

CLINIC'S RESPONSE: For the past10 years, CLINIC has identified andpropagated model management prac-tices and strategies for charitableimmigration legal services programs.

The Immigration Management Project (IMP) focused on providingeducation for participating charitableprograms to improve their manage-ment practices.

This last year marked a turning pointfor the IMP as CLINIC ended itsdecade-long IMP partnership.CLINIC also expanded its efforts to assist vulnerable groups outside its traditional core of Catholic refugee resettlement and immigration programs.

CLINIC’s efforts at improvingprogram management with both itscore Catholic constituency and newgroups were supported by Arab,Muslim and South Asian community-based programs; groups offeringimmigration legal services to survivors of domestic violence; andnon-profit agencies in the SanFrancisco Bay Area.

Seven trainings were given onimmigration program start-up andmanagement in Tucson, AZ, Detroit,

MI, New York, NY, Washington, DC,Chicago, IL, Milwaukee, WI, andSanta Ana and Oakland, CA. Nearly200 staff from 118 programs partici-pated in the trainings.

CLINIC attorneys and affiliates inBoston, MA, New York, NY,Washington, DC, Miami, FL,Chicago, IL, San Francisco, CA andDallas, TX, supported existing immi-gration programs and start-ups withexpert consulting on managementissues. CLINIC provided 139programs in more than 40 states andthe District of Columbia with on-site,telephonic and Internet consulting onmanagement issues.

In 2004, CLINIC also initiatedcollaboration with Pro Bono Net, anonprofit group seeking to maximizethe use of the Internet for indigent,poor and middle income Americansand immigrants in need of legalresources. The partnership will explorecreating a Web site linking all pro-immigrant providers of legal servicesand providing the public with accessto timely, accurate and multilingualimmigration information and localcharitable and pro bono referrals.


CLINIC“This was my first year as

a lawyer and a program

manager. I was intimidated

at first, but CLINIC’s array

of technical support and

management training and

consulting helped me to grow

our program and to make a

good thing better.”

Siohvan Sheridan-Ayala

Program Director, Attorney

Immigration Legal Services

Catholic Charities of Portland, OR

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 21

PUBLICATIONS AND NEWSLETTERSTHE NEED: U.S. immigration lawand policy often fails to respect theintegrity of families, protect those atrisk of violence and persecution, oroffer appropriate paths to citizenship.CLINIC seeks to build awarenessamong policy makers, news media,advocates and the general public onproblem issues. It supports reformbased on the compelling message ofCatholic social teaching.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: Each yearCLINIC produces training manuals,handbooks, position papers, journalarticles, reports, monthly and quar-terly newsletters, and short publiceducation announcements. Throughthese publications, CLINIC aims to

increase the knowledge of practi-tioners and the general public on lawsand regulations impacting immigrantsand ways to better serve them.

In 2004, CLINIC updated its fivesubstantive immigration law manuals,which it distributed in conjunctionwith its national trainings: Family-Based Immigration Law; Survey ofImmigration Law; The Impact ofCrimes; Relief from Removal; andThe VAWA Manual: ImmigrationRelief for Abused Immigrants. TheCatholic Legal Immigration News,CLINIC’s monthly newsletter, hasevolved into a widely read legal reference tool for immigration practitioners. The newsletter focuseson providing practical information for nonprofit immigration serviceproviders. Each issue includes

substantive immigration law articleson timely issues, an update onCLINIC’s advocacy efforts, updatesfrom the network, notices onupcoming training and new resources,and the most recent U.S. StateDepartment Visa Bulletin. It alsoincludes faith-based articles and“news from the field” articles fromaffiliate staff. Circulation in 2004exceeded 1,000.

CLINIC continues to distribute the quarterly newsletter In TheBalance to aid the organization’sfundraising and marketing efforts. Thenewsletter’s circulation of about 2,500will continue to grow because visitorsto CLINIC’s Web site can sign up for afree subscription.

The Catholic Legal

Immigration News,

CLINIC’s monthly news-

letter, has evolved into a

widely read legal reference

tool for immigration practi-

tioners. The newsletter

focuses on providing

practical information for

nonprofit immigration

service providers.

CLINIC

DETAINED LONG-TERM RESIDENTSTHE NEED: Noncitizens with signifi-cant family, community and employ-ment ties to the United States areincreasingly vulnerable to deportationas well as detention for long periodswhile they await removal hearings.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINIChelps individuals with strong casesapply to stay in the country with theirU.S. family members and for releasewhile awaiting their hearings.

Until the mid-1980s, noncitizens withsignificant family, community andemployment ties to the United Stateswere much less likely to be detainedand deported than they are today.

Beginning in 1988, and continuingthrough the 1990s, several laws wereenacted that (1) defined more minoractivities as deportable offenses; (2)greatly expanded the use of detentionduring the period preceding a removalhearing; and (3) made it much moredifficult even for long-term lawful

residents with strong U.S. ties toremain in the United States,consigning them to prolonged or even permanent separation fromtheir families.

One in five U.S. children is eitherforeign-born or has an immigrantparent. The vast majority of immi-grant detainees are adult men, andmany of them are bread winners fortheir families.

Children of these detainees sufferserious emotional and economicconsequences when a parent isremoved from the United States.Children are harmed in material andemotional ways when parents aredetained for months or years even if parents eventually win their removal cases and are permitted toreturn home.

CLINIC provides a variety of servicesfor detained long-term residentsfacing removal proceedings. Itconsults with detainees about theireligibility for relief and fields phonecalls from detained immigrants, their

families and supporters seeking infor-mation and assistance with removalcases. In 2004, CLINIC performedabout 1,600 consultations fordetainees and fielded nearly 9,000phone calls.

CLINIC assists detainees who areeligible to apply for pre-hearingrelease so that they may more effec-tively participate in working on theirremoval cases. In 2004, CLINICattorneys represented 14 clients inrelease applications.

Upholding the Rights ofDetained Immigrants

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Children are harmed in

material and emotional ways

when parents are detained for

months or years even if parents

eventually win their removal

cases and are permitted to

return home.

CLINIC also provides full representa-tion in immigration court for selectedlong-term residents who have claimsfor relief, such as political asylum andcertain waivers available for long-termresidents with strong ties to U.S.families and communities.

DETENTIONPROGRAMDEVELOPMENTTHE NEED: Detainees and theirfamilies in hundreds of communitiesacross the country need legal informa-tion and representation. The needgreatly exceeds the ability of CLINICand other detention representationprograms to assist them.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICworks with its member agenciesnationwide to set up detainee legalservice programs in local communities,using models that address the partic-ular needs of local detainee pop-ulations and that are sensitive tomember agencies’ individual capacities.

Working with detainees can be over-whelming. Many detainees need assis-tance, and local immigration serviceproviders already have many demandsupon their time and resources.

Detention Watch Network (DWN)was founded by CLINIC and twopartner agencies in 1997 in responseto the rapid growth of the U.S. immi-gration detention system. More than100 religious, civil, immigrant andhuman rights organizations, as well assome 1,500 individuals, have been in-volved in the work of the network.

In 2003-2004, at CLINIC’s urging,many of the more active DWN organ-izations participated in a wide-rangingreevaluation of the network’s goalsand operations. CLINIC currentlyparticipates on a steering committeeof 13 organizations that is working toreestablish DWN as a membershipcoalition composed of organizationsand individuals concerned with thevast increase in immigration detentionand the lack of protection for therights of those detained.

Formal membership participation isbeing solicited from individuals andorganizations that provide direct legal,social, health and pastoral services topeople in immigration detention orare personally affected by U.S.detention policies. These organiza-tions and individuals also focus onadvocacy and public educationregarding detention issues.

The re-invigorated DWN will host anannual conference, engage in policyanalysis and serve as a catalyst formember advocacy with federal immi-gration officials. DWN is expected toregain full operational status in 2005.

MENTALLY ILLDETAINEESTHE NEED: The immigration deten-tion center at San Pedro, CA is awarehouse for indigent, mentally illimmigrants in deportation proceed-ings. Due to the mental incompetenceof these detainees, the local immigra-tion court regularly closes their casesadministratively, but does not releasethem from detention.

The mentally ill languish in detentionindefinitely, sometimes for severalyears, until they are found competentto face deportation. They receive onlythe most minimal treatment for theirmedical conditions while detained.Most of these detainees ultimately getdeported, despite the length of resi-dence in the United States or theinequities in their cases, because theycannot afford legal representation.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: Beginning in2004, CLINIC worked with lawstudents, pro bono attorneys andmental health providers in the Los

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 23

CLINIC

© STEVEN RUBIN

CLINIC


Angeles area to address the needs ofthese detainees. Because the need forassistance outstrips the number ofavailable volunteers, CLINIC soughtassistance on various fronts.

The program’s objective is to provideholistic services, including legal representation, to mentally illdetainees. The program also seeks toinform the local legal and socialservices communities of the plight ofthese detainees.

Highlights of CLINIC’s Workwith Mentally Ill Detainees:

m In the fall of 2004, CLINIC staff met with the University ofSouthern California (USC)Immigration Law Clinic to discussthe situation of 12 mentally illdetainees at the San Pedro facilitywhose cases had been screened byCLINIC for potential legal repre-sentation and other assistance.USC agreed to look into repre-senting six of the cases. Sincethen, USC Clinic has collaboratedwith USC’s medical center andpsychology department toconduct assessments of detainedindividuals for potential assistance.

m Students at other Los Angeles-area law schools have assistedCLINIC in completing back-ground country conditions

research for mentally ill detaineeswho are pursuing asylum claims. These detainees are represented by CLINIC legal staff or probono counsel.

m CLINIC has successfully placedthe cases of mentally ill detaineeswith pro bono attorneys. CLINICmentored these attorneys byproviding background materialsand technical support throughoutthe representation process.

m CLINIC has collaborated withseveral nonprofit mental healthorganizations and mental health providers that have given psychiatric evaluations,housing and follow-up services to these detainees.

m CLINIC is taking part in ongoingdiscussions with other legal organizations about how toaddress the problem systemically,such as advocating for a guardianad-litem for all mentally incompe-tent immigrants.

INDEFINITE DETAINEESTHE NEED: Thousands of non-citizens who have received deportation orders have remainedimprisoned for months or even yearsin the United States because theirhome countries have refused to takethem back.

Legislation enacted by Congress in1996 vastly expanded the categoriesof noncitizens who can be held inmandatory detention pending removalfrom the United States. These nonciti-zens include asylum seekers who arriveat airports with insufficient entrydocuments, individuals convicted ofminor crimes who are awaiting immi-gration hearings, and immigrants whoare ordered deported and heldpending their physical removal fromthe United States.

The 1996 legislation contemplatedthat immigrants would be removedwithin 90 days of being ordereddeported by an immigration judge orwould be released from custody undersupervision of the immigrationauthorities until physical departurewas possible.

An exception to the “90-days-or-release” rule was provided for immi-grants who were deemed flight risksor dangers to the community. Despitethis legislative intent, many immi-grants have been detained indefinitelyafter the 90-day period. In themajority of these cases, the U.S.government is unable to remove themdue to their home country’s bureau-cratic inaction or refusal to accepttheir return.

CLINIC assists detainees

who are eligible to apply for

pre-hearing release so that

they may more effectively

participate in working on

their removal cases.

CLINIC

25

Some indefinite detainees come fromcountries without diplomatic ties tothe United States, such as Cuba, orcountries without effective diplomaticties. Others are stateless or come fromcountries that have no functional or central government.

The identities of other indefinitedetainees are difficult for their homecountries to verify. For example, birthrecords may have been destroyedduring a natural disaster or othercatastrophe. Without solid identitydocuments, a country will not gener-ally accept the return of its nationals.

In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Courtruled in Zadvydas v. Davis that the government did not have thepower to hold noncitizens indefinitelyand that supervised release had to beconsidered within a reasonable periodafter the noncitizen was orderedremoved. In the 2004 case of Clark v.Martinez, the Supreme Courtextended this decision to migrants—including many Cubans—caught atU.S. borders.

After the Zadvydas decision, theImmigration and NaturalizationService, the predecessor of the

Department of Homeland Security,announced the implementation of asystem that would make periodic case-by-case determinations on supervisedrelease, based upon criteria including theindividual's danger to the community.

This post order custody reviewprogram has never operated effec-tively. Some indefinite detainees—alsoknown as “lifers”—have navigated theprogram successfully on their own.However, most cannot.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINICattorneys represent indefinitedetainees across the country, working

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Some indefinite detainees

come from countries without

diplomatic ties to the United

States, such as Cuba, or

countries without effective

diplomatic ties.

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T

to return them to their U.S. familiesunder government-supervised releaseuntil they can be removed from the United States.

In 2004, CLINIC attorneys providedlegal information workshops to nearly 1,000 indefinite detainees and represented nine detainees before both administrative authoritiesand federal courts in an effort toexpedite their deportation or releasefrom detention.

Additionally in 2004, CLINIC begangiving self-help representation work-shops to teach detainees how to repre-sent themselves when applying forrelease. Workshops were held in twodetention centers. The number ofindigent detainees in these facilitiesneeding legal services exceededCLINIC’s ability to provide individualrepresentation or pro bono lawyers.

In January 2004, CLINIC publishedits second periodic monitoring reporton long-term detainees who had beenthrough deportation hearings.CLINIC undertook extensive researchfor a third report to be published in2005. CLINIC has consistently advo-cated improving agency proceduresfor determining detainees’ eligibilityfor supervised release from detention.

LEGAL RIGHTSORIENTATIONTHE NEED: Government agencies donot provide lawyers to detainees whocannot afford to hire counsel, and fewindigent immigrant detainees are ableto obtain legal representation.CLINIC and its nonprofit partnerslack the resources to represent everydeserving detainee who lacks a lawyer.

Unrepresented detainees face deporta-tion hearings alone without knowingwhether they can assert a legal claimto remain in the United States andwithout information about how toassert any rights they might have.

CLINIC’S RESPONSE: CLINIC andits partner organizations hold work-shops in Department of HomelandSecurity (DHS) detention facilities toinform detainees about their rightsunder immigration law. These work-shops, called “legal orientation” or“Know Your Rights” presentations,help detainees decide whether theyhave legal grounds to fight deporta-tion, and, if so, how they can asserttheir rights in immigration court.

The format for legal orientationpresentations varies among CLINICprograms. In some detention facilitiesfor adults, CLINIC lawyers makeclassroom-type presentations to large

groups of DHS detainees and thenanswer questions. In other facilities,specifically those housing noncitizenchildren, orientation generally takesthe form of one-on-one consultations.

During the orientation, lawyers telldetainees what they can expect tooccur in immigration court. They then discuss the charges, orinfractions of immigration law, thatimmigration authorities can bringagainst detainees to start the removal(deportation) process.

Workshops explain relief from removal and waiver applications that anoncitizen may be able to make to animmigration judge. If a waiver isapproved, the noncitizen is able tolawfully remain in the United States.CLINIC provides attendees withwritten legal orientation materials tohelp them represent themselves inimmigration court.

Legal orientation presentations permitCLINIC to identify individuals whoare particularly vulnerable or haveother compelling needs for legal representation. As resources permit,CLINIC represents vulnerable individ-uals directly or tries to find them probono counsel. CLINIC lawyersprovide extensive mentoring and tech-nical assistance for pro bono lawyerswho take on cases.


CLINIC

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 27

“Know Your Rights” presentationsgive CLINIC attorneys rare accessbehind the walls of detention facilities.This access allows CLINIC to evaluateconditions of immigrant detentionand to bring issues of concern to theattention of immigration authorities.

In 2003, CLINIC was awarded a subcontract by the Executive Officeof Immigration Review (EOIR) toconduct legal orientation workshopsfor detainees at the Mira LomaDetention Center in Lancaster, CA.A second such contract was awardedto CLINIC in 2004 for work at the El Paso Service Processing Centerin Texas.

Through these projects, CLINIC andits partner organizations meet withincoming detainees who are facingtheir first court hearing and explain tothem their options under U.S. immi-gration law. Legal orientation presen-tations tend to reduce the time thatimmigrants spend in detention.

According to EOIR estimates, thelength of detention is shortened by anaverage of two days for detainees whoattend the presentations. This reduc-tion in detention time creates signifi-cant savings for the government.

Although these are the only federallysupported legal orientation programsthat CLINIC operates, all CLINIC

detention staff provide legal orienta-tion in the detention facilities thatCLINIC serves. In 2004, CLINICstaff made 292 such presentations tomore than 4,800 adult detainees.

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CLINIC’s Board of Directors is

composed of both episcopal and

non-episcopal members who serve

staggered terms, assuring the

carry-over of institutional

knowledge from one year to

the next. CLINIC’s viability

depends on the active engage-

ment of its board of directors in

governance, resource develop-

ment and financial oversight.

Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzioCHAIRMANBishop of Brooklyn

Most Reverend James A. TamayoVICE PRESIDENTBishop of Laredo

Most Reverend Armando X. OchoaTREASURERBishop of El Paso

Most Reverend Robert BakerBishop of Charleston

Ms. Jane Golden Belford, Esq.ChancellorArchdiocese of Washington

Sr. RayMonda DuVall, CHSExecutive DirectorCatholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego

Most Reverend Kevin J. FarrellAuxiliary Bishop of Washington

Mr. Austin T. FragomenFragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, P.C.

Mr. Mark FrankenExecutive DirectorMigration and Refugee ServicesU.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Ms. Lily GutierrezFormer Southwest RegionalCoordinator, CLINIC

Ms. Margaret K. HattonLevin Graduate Institute

Most Reverend Gerald KicanasBishop of Tucson

Most Reverend Dominic LuongAuxiliary Bishop of Orange

Sr. M. Lourdes Sheehan, RSMAssociate General SecretaryU.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Most Reverend Jaime SotoAuxiliary Bishop of Orange

Most Reverend Thomas G. WenskiBishop of Orlando

Most Reverend John C. WesterAuxiliary Bishop of San Francisco


CLINIC2004 Board of Directors

Formed in 1998, CLINIC’s

Diocesan Advisory Committee

provides advice and feedback on

the full range of training,

support and programmatic

activities that CLINIC offers to

its affiliate members. The input

of the committee enables

CLINIC to determine which

issues it should address to

improve the effectiveness of its

programs and services. The

Diocesan Advisory Committee

represents a diverse group of

diocesan immigration programs.

It serves as an excellent source of

information for CLINIC’s

board of directors and staff.

Lily Gutierrez, CLINIC Board MemberCHAIRPERSONEl Paso, TX Term: 2002-2005

Leo Anchondo, DirectorCatholic Charities of Central TexasOffice of Immigrant ConcernsAustin, TX Term: 2004-2007

Jeanne Atkinson, DirectorCatholic CharitiesImmigration Legal ServicesThe James CardinalHickey CenterWashington, DC Term: 2004-2007

Nilda Cardenas de Lara,Immigration CounselorCasa GuadalupeCatholic Social ServicesWinston-Salem, NC Term: 2001-2004

William (Bill) DeSantiago,Supervising AttorneyCatholic Social Services Phoenix, AZ Term: 2001-2004

Donna Gann, ImmigrationProgram CoordinatorCatholic Charities Refugee Resettlement ProgramNashville, TN Term: 2003-2006

Alma Garza-Cruz,Program DirectorCatholic CharitiesDiocese of BeaumontBeaumont, TX Term: 2001-2004

Carmen Maquilon, Director of Immigrant ServicesCatholic CharitiesDiocese of Rockville CentreAmityville, NY Term: 2001-2004

Vicki Mayster, Program DirectorCatholic Charities Immigration andResettlement ServicesSanta Rosa, CA Term: 2004-2007

Shelley Schrader, Program DirectorCatholic CharitiesInterfaith Immigration ServicesOmaha, NE Term: 2003-2006

Joan Stamm, Citizenship Project CoordinatorArchdiocesan Housing AuthorityRefugee Assistance ProgramSeattle, WA Term: 2003-2006

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 29

CLINIC2004 Diocesan Advisory Committee

CLINIC


Donald KerwinExecutive [email protected]

DIVISION OFNATIONALOPERATIONS AND SUPPORTRegina BrantleyI.T. and Operations [email protected]

Laura BurdickProject [email protected]

Jeff ChenowethDirector [email protected]

Emilynda ClomeraAccounting [email protected]

Mac HerndonController [email protected]

Kierre JacksonStaff [email protected]

Esther JamesResource Development [email protected]

Rima KamalResource Development [email protected]

Juakeita NormanBenefits [email protected]

DIVISION OF PUBLIC EDUCATIONAND ADVOCACYMaura CollinsProject [email protected]

Molly McKennaImmigration [email protected]

Mandy MorganCommunications [email protected]

Mirna [email protected]

DIVISION OFRELIGIOUSIMMIGRATIONSERVICESAngelia AmayaStaff [email protected]

Anne Marie GibbonsAttorney [email protected]

Jim HoffmanSenior Immigration [email protected]

Sr. Margaret Perron, RJMDirector [email protected]

Staff Directory

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 31

Allison PosnerAttorney [email protected]

Karen WolffAttorney [email protected]

Minyoung OhmAttorney [email protected]

DIVISION OF SPECIAL PROJECTSLinda ArzagaStaff [email protected]

Sarah BronsteinSupervising [email protected]

Julianne DonnellyDetention [email protected]

Mary HolperDetention [email protected]

Norma IslasDetention [email protected]

Hiroko KusudaDetention [email protected]

Margarita ManduleyDetention [email protected]

Shiu-Ming CheerManaging [email protected]

Kathleen [email protected]

DIVISION OFTRAINING ANDTECHNICAL SUPPORTPeggy GleasonSenior [email protected]

Karen HerrlingStaff [email protected]

Jack HolmgrenField Office [email protected]

Kristina KarpinskiField Office [email protected]

Christine OzakiStaff [email protected]

Susan SchreiberField Office [email protected]

Tom SheaField Office Attorney212-826-6251 [email protected]

Jill SheldonField Office [email protected]

Dinah SuncinAdministrative [email protected]

Charles WheelerDirector [email protected]

CLINIC


AlabamaCatholic Social Services ..................................Birmingham

AlaskaImmigration and Refugee Services .....................Anchorage

ArkansasCatholic Immigration Services...........................Little Rock

ArizonaCatholic Immigration Services of Phoenix–ImmigrationProgram.................................................................PhoenixImmigration & Citizenship......................................Tucson

CaliforniaCatholic Charities–Immigration Program..................FresnoImmigration and Refugee Department..............Los AngelesCatholic Charities East Bay–Immigration Project. ............................................OaklandCatholic Charities.............................................SacramentoCatholic Charities–Immigration Services .................SalinasCatholic Charities Refugee andImmigration Services.................................San BernardinoCatholic Charities Immigrant Services ................San DiegoCitizen, Refugee and Immigration Services ....................................San FranciscoCatholic Charities Immigration Legal Services ........................................................San JoseResettlement–Immigration Citizen Program ...............................................Santa AnaCatholic Charities Immigration and Resettlement Services .......................................Santa RosaCatholic Charities Immigration andRefugee Program...................................................Stockton

ColoradoCatholic Charities Immigration Services..................DenverSouthern Colorado Center for Immigration Rights..................................................Pueblo

ConnecticutImmigration and Refugee Services.....................BridgeportCatholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services. .................................................Hartford

DelawareImmigration Services .......................................Wilmington

District of ColumbiaImmigration Legal Services ..............................Washington

FloridaFarm Work Ministry, Inc. ................................AuburndaleCatholic Charities Of Charlotte County.........................................Port CharlotteCatholic Charities Legalization .........................JacksonvilleCatholic Charities Farmworkers Ministry ..........JacksonvilleCatholic Charities Legal Services .............................MiamiCatholic Immigration and Refugee Services ..........OrlandoImmigration & Refugee Office............................PensacolaPAEC–Migration ....................................................QuincyCatholic Charities–Immigration ....................St. PetersburgRefugee and Immigration Programs .................................................West Palm Beach

GeorgiaCatholic Social Services–Immigration Program............................................Atlanta

2004 Affiliate Member Agencies

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 33

HawaiiCatholic Charities Community and Immigrant Services..............................................Honolulu

IdahoCatholic Charities of Idaho .........................................BoiseLa Posada Ministries–Services Of Mercy .............Twin Falls

IllinoisCatholic Charities Of Archdiocese of Chicago.............................................................ChicagoPrograma Cielo Immigration Services. ...................ChicagoCatholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Services ..................................................Rockford

IndianaCatholic Charities Refugee andImmigration Services....................................... Fort WayneGuadalupe Center ........................................ Huntingburg

IowaDiocesan Immigration Program........................ DavenportHispanic Community Outreach Program ..........Des MoinesOur Lady of the Americas ................................ Des MoinesCatholic Social Services....................................... Dubuque

KansasCatholic Agency-Migration and Refugee Services .............................................Garden CityCitizenship, Refugee and Immigration Services ........SalinaImmigration & Refugee Services............................Wichita

KentuckyMaxwell Street Legal Clinic ................................LexingtonCatholic Charities, Office of Immigration Services ...........................................LouisvilleOffice of Hispanic Ministry .........................Bowling GreenSt. Joseph's Church.....................................Bowling Green

LouisianaHispanic Apostolate .......................................Baton RougeMigration and Refugee Services .....................Baton RougeMigration and Refugee Services ...........................LafayetteHispanic Apostolate................................................KennerImmigration and Refugee Services .................New OrleansHispanic Ministry & Immigration Services .........Shreveport

MaineCatholic Charities Maine......................................Portland

MarylandImmigration Legal Services of Catholic Charities ...............................................BaltimoreSpanish Catholic Center.................................Gaithersburg

MassachusettsCatholic Social Services-ImmigrationLaw, Education, Advocacy Project......................Fall RiverRefugee, Immigration and Interpreter Services .........BostonCatholic Charities Immigration Program ...........SpringfieldMissionary Sisters Of the Society of Mary ............Waltham

MichiganImmigration Legal Services .....................................DetroitImmigration Advocacy and Assistance...........Grand RapidsImmigration Assistance Program ......................KalamazooRefugee Services ....................................................LansingHispanic Ministry Department..............................Saginaw

MinnesotaRefugee Resettlement ..........................................RochesterMigration and Refugee Services.............................St. PaulSt. Odilia Catholic Community ...........................Shoreview

CLINIC


MississippiCatholic Social and Community Service ....................BiloxiCatholic Charities ...................................................Jackson

MissouriInterfaith Community Services.............................St. JosephCatholic Immigration Law Project ........................St. LouisRefugee and Immigration Services.................Jefferson CityCasa Esperanza...................................................Webb City

NebraskaCatholic Social Services Refugee Programs .............LincolnCatholic Charities Interfaith Immigration Services of Nebraska ...............................................Omaha

NevadaCatholic Charities of Southern Nevada–Immigration Program..........................................Las Vegas

New HampshireCatholic Charities Immigrant and Refugee Services .................................................Windham

New JerseyCamden Center for Law and Social Justice............CamdenMigration and Refugee Services ............................CamdenCatholic Community Service .................................NewarkCatholic Family and Community Services–Legal Services Department....................................PatersonCatholic Charities ImmigrationServices ..........................................................Perth AmboyMigration and Refugee Services .............................TrentonCatholic Charities Emergency Services ...................Delanco

New MexicoCatholic Charities of Central New Mexico–Immigration Department. .................AlbuquerqueCasa Reina...............................................................GallupFamily Unity and Citizen Program ....................Las Cruces

New YorkOffice of Immigrant Services...................................AlbanyCatholic Charities–Immigrant Services Department. .........................................AmityvilleCatholic Migration Office .....................................BrooklynOffice of Legal Services.........................................BrooklynCatholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Assistance Program.............................BuffaloCatholic Charities Community Services...............New YorkCatholic Family Center–Refugee and Immigration Services.....................................Rochester

North CarolinaCatholic Social Service–Hispanic/Latino...............AshevilleHispanic Ministry ............................................KernersvilleCatholic Social Ministries .......................................RaleighImmigrants’ Legal Assistance Project......................RaleighCatholic Social Service–Casa Guadalupe......Winston-Salem

OhioConvent–North Am.Union Sisters .....................CarrolltonRefugee Resettlement .......................................CincinnatiMigration and Refugee Services..........................ClevelandCommunity Refugee and Immigration Services ..........................................ColumbusEn Camino/Catholic Charities...............................FostoriaCatholic Charities ............................................Youngstown

OklahomaCatholic Charities–Immigration Assistance Program.....................................Oklahoma CityCatholic Charities Immigration Services.....................Tulsa

OregonCathollic Charities Immigration Services ..............Portland

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 35

PennsylvaniaImmigration and Refugee General Program .......AllentownCatholic Social Services–Immigration Legal Services .................................................PhiladelphiaMedical Mission Sisters, Eastern N.A. Office.....................................................PhiladelphiaMedical Mission Sisters, Eastern N.A. Office.....................................................PhiladelphiaCatholic Charities Refugee Services Program......PittsburghRefugee and Immigration Services........................Scranton

Rhode IslandImmigration and Refugee Services .....................Providence

South CarolinaCatholic Charities ..............................................CharlestonHispanic Office of Legal Assistance ................Hilton Head

TennesseeCatholic Charities–Refugee and Immigration Services ............................................MemphisRefugee and Immigration Services .......................Nashville

TexasImmigration Services ...........................................AmarilloOffice of Immigrant Concerns.................................AustinVocation Office........................................................AustinCatholic Charities of Diocese OfBeaumont, Inc. ..................................................BeaumontCatholic Social Services–Immigration and Refugee ................................................Corpus ChristiCatholic Charities Immigration Counseling Services..................................................DallasDiocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, Inc............................................................El PasoImmigration Consultation Services....................Fort Worth

Texas Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance.........HoustonCatholic Social Services-Servicios Para Immigrantes ............................................................LaredoCatholic Family Service Legalization Project ..........LubbockCatholic Charities ImmigrationDepartment. ...................................................San AntonioImmigration Counseling Services ........................San Juan

UtahCatholic Community Services of Utah .........Salt Lake CityHoly Cross Ministries ..................................Salt Lake City

VirginiaMigrant Ministry ..................................................AccomacHogar Hispano...............................................Falls ChurchRefugee and Immigration Services ....................Richmond

WashingtonRefugee Assistance Program.....................................SeattleCatholic Charities ..................................................Spokane

WisconsinCatholic Charities Resettlement and Immigration Services..........................................Green BayCatholic Charities ................................................La CrosseCatholic Charities–Legal Services for Immigration.................................................Milwaukee

WyomingDepartment of Catholic Charities ........................WheelingCatholic Social Services of Wyoming, Inc .............Cheyenne

CLINIC


Adrian AcmentaAdejuwon AkindayomiIntissar Ann AlkafajiRita Amberg WaldrefEdgar E. AnadinEdward AraizaStancy M. AugustineBrook R. AvelloValerie C. BalderesMartino BarcnasCheryl BatsonStephen E. BaumertJane BelfordBarbara BissingerAlvin BronsteinWilliam ButlerCarlos O. CantuPauline N. CarmackGregory CerchioneGreg ChenJeff and Laurie ChenowethKevin CheungEsther CoopersmithJohn DammEmma DanielsScott A. DarnellChristina DeConciniAndy del ValleBarney Delgado Sr.

John P. DepnerRenate Jeddahlyn DepunaCecile DesLauriersNicholas DiMarzioCarol DonaMaria-Goretti DoroinDave DurbinRayMonda DuVallCarol EdwardRoger A. ElkhouryJose A. EspindzaKevin FarrellNancy and Richard FinchKristen FlanaganIrma Flores-MangesAustin FragomenJanna GilbertMary Helen GomezJuan E. GonzalezMalcolm GradJose M. GuerreroLouis F. HaasJames HaggertyMarc HarroldVeronica HassenteuffelLester HernandezFernando Hernandez-GarzaKaren HerrlingKitty Higgins

Richard HillRobert HillTracy HoangVinh and Loan HoangEdmund HoffmanLarry and Gundula HouffPhilip InglimaDeen KaplanJoseph KarpinskiMichael KeefeJames KennedyShirley KennedyConstance KerwinDonald and Mary KerwinLuong and Sang KhuongWalter KirkEric KorankyePauline S. KuhbanderHerbert LannonMark LeahyChristopher C. LecluyseDavid L. LeeAnne LiJudy and Tom LuceMelanie LunaDominic LuongJose MarenoMaria and Jeff MarksJames Martin

2004 Individual DonorsCLINIC WOULD ALSO LIKE TOEXTEND SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Rend Rahim Francke

Winston Lord

Thomas Flood

Joanne Weiss

Paula Endo

Brian Tringali

Catherine Heim

Sheilah Kast

Brett Seamans

Victoria Child

Aaron D’Costa

Philemina Williams

Ashok Thakur

Cokie Roberts

Molly Marsh

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 37

CLINICAubri G. MastersonAubri MastersonAsha MathewTimothy McaleerTheodore Cardinal McCarrickEdward McGehrinAnthony McGuirePhilip MegnaCorey G. MeierSteve MillerPatrick MontgomeryAlexandre B. NobleLouise O’BrienJose M. OconHenry “Ortega, Jr.”Nicholas C. PanosRandolph PeersJavier PerezNasario “Perez, Jr.”Binh T. PhanMargery PinsonVincent PittaPeter PoonCandida Quinn

Andrew R. RamintuanLisa RamirezCameron ReesePamela ReidyCiro J. ReyesJames H. ReynoldsJose Rodriguez-OrtizMichael E. RudmannWilfudo RuizJohn & Diane SchattelP Diane SchneiderHoward K. SchuylerRuss and Bonnie SeabrightJuan SernaYoussouph SeydiVictor V. SheaM. Lourdes SheehanPamela A. SmithPatricia SolbergKathleen SullivanMarie SullivanJames TamayoJan M. ThomasGeorge Thomas

Margaret ThorneBrendan P. ToolanTeresa TrimarcoBrian TringaliAntony S. TsengJoan van der HorstBarbara R. VasquezLeonardo F. VenegasOmar VerduzcoEdward VilanuevaMark and Haydee von SternbergThomas WalshAllison WannamakerMichael WashburnTodd WatsonMary Anne WeinsteinThomas WenskiCharles WheelerRosemary YbarraEllen YostJoseph Ziska

CLINIC


AugustiniansBriggitine MonksCamaldolese Hermits of AmericaCistercian Order of the StrictObservance, Abbey of the GenesseeColumban FathersComboni MissionariesCongregation of Holy Cross–EasternProvince of BrothersCongregation of Sisters of St. AgnesCongregation of the Sisters of Charityof the Incarnate WordDomincan Sisters of the Most HolyRosary, PhilippinesDominican Friars, St. Joseph ProvinceDominican Sisters of San Rafael

Franciscan Friars of California,Province of St. BarbaraFranciscan Friars of the AtonementHospital Sisters of the Third Order ofSt. FrancisLittle Company of Mary SistersMissionaries of La SaletteMissionary Oblates of MaryImmaculateMissionary Servants of the MostHoly TrinityMissionary Sisters of the Society of MaryMissionhurst, C.I.C.M.Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters

Sister Servants of MarySisters of Mercy of North CarolinaSisters of Mercy of the Holy CrossSisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-WoodsSisters of St. Joseph of OrangeSisters of the Humility of MarySisters of the Incarnate Word andBlessed SacramentSociety of Jesus, Chinese ProvinceSociety of Jesus, New York ProvinceSociety of Mt. Carmel

2004 Religious Institute Funders

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 39

American Immigration LawAssociation, Greater Chicago ChapterBeverly Hills Bar Association of theAmerican Bar AssociationBoston College Law SchoolCalifornia Province of the Society of JesusCarnegie Corporation of New York Catholic Campaign for HumanDevelopmentCatholic Charities of the Archdioceseof MilwaukeeCongregation of Sisters of St. AgnesFiredoll FoundationGeorgetown University Law CenterGimprich Family FoundationGreat Oak Insurance, Inc. Holland and Knight LLPHumanitas FoundationInterest on Lawyers’ Trust AccountsFund of the Bar of New JerseyJesuit Refugee ServiceJesuit Volunteer Corps, SouthwestJohn G. and Marie Stella KenedyMemorial Foundation

Knights of Columbus Loretto Community Special Needs FundLos Angeles County Bar FoundationLouisiana Bar Foundation Loyola University New OrleansSchool of LawMagen David Sephardic CongregationGemilut Chessed Charity FundMarianist Province of the United StatesMcQuade Brennan LLPMercy Mission Fund of the BaltimoreSisters of Mercy Miami-Dade County Department ofHuman ServicesMigration and Refugee Services of theUnited States Conference of CatholicBishopsMissionary Oblates of Mary ImmaculateMorris and Gwendolyn CafritzFoundationOffice of Refugee ResettlementOpen Society Institute

Our Sunday Visitor InstitutePublic Interest ProjectsRaskob Foundation for Catholic ActivitiesReligious of Jesus and Mary Ministry FundSC Ministry FoundationSt. John’s UniversityU.S. Department of Health andHuman Services, Office of RefugeeResettlementUnited States Department of Justice, Executive Office ofImmigration ReviewW. O’Neil FoundationWest GroupWilliam Randolph Hearst FoundationWilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and DoorWisconsin Chapter of AmericanImmigration Lawyers AssociationWisconsin Hispanic LawyersAssociationZellerbach Family Foundation

2004 Institutional Funders CONTRIBUTING ANDPRO BONO LAW FIRMSKing & Spalding LLP

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP

Holland & Knight LLP

Howrey Simon Arnold & White LLP

Latham & Watkins LLP

Shearman & Sterling LLP

Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent,

Carrere & Denegre LLP

Arnold & Porter LLP

IN-KIND DONORS ANDSPONSORSGreat Oak Insurance

American Immigration Lawyers

Association - Wisconsin Chapter

School Sisters of Notre Dame, Office

of Global Justice and Peace

McQuade Brennan LLP

Catholic Charities of Milwaukee

Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association

(WHLA)

West Group

Balmar

American Immigration Lawyers Association

CLINIC


DECEMBER 31 2004 2003

ASSETSCURRENT ASSETSCash and Cash EquivalentsOperating Cash $ 420,574 $ 318,296Savings and Short-Term Investments $ 203,970 $ 282,077Restricted Cash – Foundation Support $ 0 $ 419,105Total Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 624,544 $ 1,019,478

Accounts Receivable (net of allowance for doubtfulaccounts of $10,000 for 2004 and 2003) $ 4,276 $ 77,920Contributions Receivable $ 392,095 $ 573,706Grants Receivable $ 29,551 $ 128,739Receivable from Sub-Grantees $ 0 $ 0Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 21,269 $ 22,904Total Current Assets $ 1,071,735 $ 1,822,747

Restricted Investments $ 1,086,083 $ 1,036,505Property and EquipmentFurniture and Equipment $ 348,909 $ 348,909Leasehold Improvements $ 45,787 $ 45,787

$ 394,696 $ 394,696Less accumulated depreciation and amortization $ (380,754) $ (363,075)NET PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT $ 13,942 $ 31,621CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVABLE, net of current portion $ 9,650 $ 40,900DEPOSITS $ 3,250 $ 3,250TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,184,660 $ 2,935,023

CATHOLIC LEGAL IMMIGRATION NETWORK, INC.

Statement of Financial Position

continued

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 41

DECEMBER 31 2004 2003

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETSCURRENT LIABILITIESAccounts Payable $ 117,329 $ 121,569Contributions Payable $ 133,757 $ 195,250Grants Payable and Refundable Advances $ 0 $ 77,612Accrued Expenses $ 119,811 $ 133,296TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES $ 370,897 $ 527,727

NET ASSETSUnrestricted $ (26,782) $ 456,237Unrestricted – Board designated $ 586,083 $ 536,505Total unrestricted $ 559,301 $ 992,742Temporarily restricted $ 1,254,462 $ 1,414,554TOTAL NET ASSETS $ 1,813,763 $ 2,407,246

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $2,184,660 $2,935,023

CLINIC


FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2004 TOTAL

REVENUES, GRANTS AND OTHER SUPPORTMRS/USCCB Support $ 1,970,612Professional and Religious Contracts $ 425,292 Federal and non-federal grants and contributions $ 1,593,753Training, publications and other fees for service $ 150,201Membership Fees $ 148,018 Interest income $ 2,657 Net realized and unrealized gain $ 96,160TOTAL REVENUES, GRANTS AND OTHER SUPPORT $ 4,386,693

EXPENSESProgram Services $ 4,376,872Fundraising and Development $ 204,760 Management and General $ 398,594TOTAL EXPENSES $ 4,980,226*

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS $ (593,533)NET ASSETS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR $ 2,407,296

NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR $1,813,763

*In 2003, CLINIC recognized significant revenues from grants, whose expenses, under accepted accounting principles, itdid not recognize until 2004. This explains why CLINIC’s expenses exceed its revenue on its 2004 financial statement.

CATHOLIC LEGAL IMMIGRATION NETWORK, INC.

Statement of Activities

CLINIC

2 0 0 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 43

We dedicate this annual report toJames Michael Hoffman. For 35 years,Jim has gifted the Catholic Church inthe United States with his devotedservice to refugees, immigrants andpeople on the move. During this time,he has touched the lives of tens ofthousands of people.

For the past 15 years, Jim has workedas a Senior Immigration Specialist forCLINIC. In recent years, Jim hasworked within CLINIC’s Division of Religious Immigration Services(DRIS). In his current position, Jimrepresents archdioceses, dioceses,religious orders, congregations andCatholic organizations that wish tobring priests, nuns, seminarians andlay religious workers to the UnitedStates. These foreign-born workersplay a crucial role in the Church’sministry to newcomers and others in the United States. Jim adviseshundreds of clients a year on immigra-tion matters and assists them inobtaining U.S. immigration status.

Jim has the longest tenure of anyemployee of CLINIC and its sisteragency Migration and RefugeeServices (MRS) of the United States

Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB). His history with MRSdates back to 1970 when he was hiredto direct MRS’s Western Regionaloffice in San Francisco. Jim received acall from Monsignor Frank Hurley,the now retired Archbishop ofAnchorage, who was then theAssociate General Secretary of theNational Catholic Welfare Conference(now USCCB.) The call came atmidnight. Msgr. Hurley stated simply:“We need you.” Jim and ArchbishopHurley have a relationship thatextends back to Jim’s high school dayswhen then-Father Hurley was hishomeroom teacher and athleticdirector at Serra High School in SanMateo, California. Jim creditsArchbishop Hurley with his decisionto pursue studies for the priesthoodfor seven and a half years.

When Jim took the position withUSCCB, he continued work as aprofessor of Latin and Spanish atMountain View Seminary inCalifornia. His arrangement withUSCCB was for part-time workduring his first year. He typicallyworked from 7 a.m. to noon as aprofessor, then commuted 37 miles

north to San Francisco where hewould often work until midnightfor MRS.

Jim taught himself immigration lawon the job. He received a bachelor’sdegree in scholastic philosophy and healso studied theology. After leavingthe seminary, he pursued studies inSpanish and earned a master’s degreein international relations in Mexico.As an indication of the dedication thatwould become his hallmark, Jim reada two-volume treatise on immigrationlaw and procedure, the entireImmigration and Nationality Act, andnine volumes of immigration case decisions. He then jumped into immi-gration casework as a federally accred-ited representative. In this position,Jim handled a range of cases for low-income immigrants in immigrationcourt and on appeal.

His job with MRS changed substan-tially in 1975, when the governmentof South Vietnam fell and OperationBaby Lift brought 2,000 orphans toCalifornia. Jim was present at the firstplane’s arrival. He was in the U.S.District Court when the judge threwout the lawsuit that challenged the

James Michael Hoffman

Jim has the longest tenure of

any employee of CLINIC

and its sister agency

Migration and Refugee

Services (MRS) of the

United States Conference of

Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

CLINIC


legality of bringing the orphans to theUnited States. Jim played a key role inMRS’s program for the newly arrivedorphans. This program ultimatelyevolved into MRS’s refugeeprocessing program that has resettledmore than 850,000 refugees since1975. In those early years, Jim helpedprocess refugees into the UnitedStates airports on the West Coast. Healso helped to advocate for and imple-ment the Indochinese Refugee Act in1978, which allowed Vietnameserefugees to adjust status to U.S.permanent residence. His manual onthis process was later adapted andreprinted by the U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office.

In 1982 Jim was asked to serve MRSin Washington. He worked for thenext three years as the USCCB’sNational Coordinator for ImmigrationServices. This was an exciting timebecause the debates that would resultin comprehensive legalization legisla-tion in 1986 were then taking place.

Jim’s return to San Francisco in late1985 coincided with passage of theImmigration Reform and Control Actof 1986 (IRCA). MRS played the leadrole in a nation-wide effort under thisAct that led to the legalization ofnearly 3 million people. Jim workedon hundreds of cases and assisted thenational staff in meetings with theImmigration and NaturalizationService (INS) to interpret the Act,develop training tools and implementthe program. Jim also worked in theDiocese of Sacramento to make surethat INS followed the letter and thespirit of the legislation.

In the late 1980s, Jim began work forthe newly created CLINIC, a legalagency created by the USCCB tosupport the nation’s Catholic immi-gration program. CLINIC was thebrainchild of the Director of MRS,then-Monsignor Nicholas DiMarzio,now the Most Reverend NicholasDiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn andChairman of CLINIC’s board ofdirectors. Since mid-1995, Jim has

handled mostly religious immigrationcases for CLINIC in the position of aSenior Immigration Specialist. WhenCLINIC formally established DRIS in1999 in Washington, DC, Jim relo-cated his family and moved again tothe East Coast.

Jim brings years of experience to thiswork. He is famously dedicated,devoting many hours above theregular workweek to serving hisclients. He regularly receives cards,notes, letters and other encomiumsfrom bishops and religious communi-ties. Jim devotes his “extra time” tohis parish of St. Francis de SalesCatholic Church in Purcellville, VA, as Lector and Extraordinary Ministerfor Holy Communion. For 35 years,Jim has played an invaluable role inthe Catholic Church’s ministry tonewcomers. His knowledge, hardwork and commitment to the Churchremain a source of inspiration to all who know him.

2004 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of 2004 Annual Report