Tanks for axe-ing.
My local friend has received a deportation order based on her misdemeanor accusation. She is fighting the order - but we had to fire her original immigration attorney for not advocating. Three years after that law firm (run by a bilingual woman who herself is not a lawyer nor empathetic) took a huge amount of her borrowed money ($12.5K) and the firm failed to do much beyond filing some forms and losing her files over 3 years. Now, under pressure of time, she hired a new law firm, more reasonable, again borrowing money because she is too proud to ask me for more than what I help her with.
As in criminal justice, immigration law is full of opportunists at all levels. Lesson: Never pay the whole amount in advance - they lose their incentive even with good intentions. Especially when they promise to win. Walk away. There are good lawyers out there too.
Meanwhile, as you know, the Trump Administration Homeland Security and DOJ are not valuing Violence Against Women Act cases. And this is complicated by weak misdemeanor charge a year ago that cost her many days in jail and loss of her lifeline-to-family and friends, her smartphone which apparently the authorities lost track of. Ironically her charges will be dropped but too late as the criminal justice system has ground to a halt in such matters.
Along with more traditional trafficking and scams to endure, immigrants are trafficked as prey in the justice and asylum system which is supposed to protect them. And in East Asian communities they often do not want to talk to authorities, they fear retaliation. Victims are everywhere in the USA and world, especially downslope into the kitchens and massage worlds.
I will tell you that there are thousands of immigrants who have fallen beneath the wheel and it is amplified in this COVID-19 environment. They fall further in debt to the madame's and loan sharks.
Many at the bottom are better humans than our President, its a matter of luck and circumstances.
I know I'm not sharing too many details, it could hurt her. I can't change the world tops-down. I....just....hope, and fight for a few who have slipped. I'm have some dough and a lot of fight in me. |
