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Members List:
Board of Directors:
Julie Chen
Rosemary Flores
Shannon MacCleery
L.O.P. Coordinator:
Marlon Valladares
Director:
David Walding
EL SALVADOR - affiliate contact:
Francisco Ortiz
GUATEMALA - affiliate contact:
AuraElena Farfan
DONATE ONLINE CGSP (AFFILIATE) FAMDEGUA (AFFILIATE) FUNDASIDA (AFFILIATE)
"La Voz" in English
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LA VOZ DE BERNARDO KOHLER : January, 2007
The Bernardo Kohler Center is implimenting Legal Orientation Presentations and hiring new staff. Updates will be provided in the coming months.
LA VOZ DE BERNARDO KOHLER : September, 2006
COURT LEGAL ACCESS PROJECT UPDATE
The BKC provided representation to 11 new individual cases through the Court Legal Access project in July and August. Most of these clients are juveniles, or adults detained in the Laredo CCA Processing Center.
A team of attorneys from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosatti volunteered to represented three juveniles. Two have been granted Special Immigrant Juvenile status, and have applied for Adjustment of Status. The third is moving forward with an asylum claim.
The BKC represented a 17 year-old boy from Honduras who has been the victim of severe domestic violence. This boy is currently being detained in Nixon. The case was presented to the Immigration Judge in August, and the judge granted asylum to this child.
The BKC also represented a gentleman from Honduras who has worked with ProBAR to obtain U-visa interim relief. The BKC represented this client before the Immigration Court in San Antonio and succeeded in getting proceedings terminated. The client was subsequently released.
A private attorney, Kirk Wineland, volunteered to represent a gentleman from Honduras with his asylum claim. The claim involves death threats by a policeman, who forced the client’s spouse to undergo a forced abortion of their first child. The gentleman is currently being detained in Laredo.
Another case involves a pastor from Guatemala who has been threatened by a policeman because he intervened when the policeman sexually harassed a woman at his church. The gentleman is currently being detained in Laredo, and has his final hearing in October. The BKC is in need of a volunteer attorney to provide assistance before the Immigration Court in San Antonio on this case. Any interested attorney should contact David at 512-626-3719.
Another case involves two individuals from Mexico who have been residing in the United States since they were children and who have a child together, but neither has legal immigration status. The woman may be able to pursue an Adjustment of Status based on a family petition filed by her mother in the early 90’s, otherwise both will be applying for Cancellation of Removal. This couple is now residing in Columbus, Texas. The BKC is in need of a volunteer attorney to provide assistance before the Immigration Court in San Antonio on this case. Any interested attorney should contact David at 512-626-3719.
Another case involves a gentleman from Mexico who has been forced to flee to the U.S. He was kidnapped and held captive for two months, and after his release he provided information to the police. Subsequently, he began receiving death threats. The gentleman is currently being detained in Laredo. The BKC is in need of a volunteer attorney to provide assistance before the Immigration Court in San Antonio on this case. Any interested attorney should contact David at 512-626-3719.
With the large number of cases now placed through our Court Legal Access project, we have a consistent need for volunteer attorneys. If you are an attorney, law school graduate, or law student interested in providing pro bono assistance on an immigration case, please contact the BKC and we will discuss available cases with you.
BKC 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBREATION
The Bernardo Kohler Center celebrated our five-year anniversary on August 5, 2006 at Taq. Jalisco Mexican Restaurant at 1304 West Koenig Lane in Austin. Thank you to everyone who attended and enjoyed the music from Mexico and Central America, dancing, and prizes. The event was a success, and the center raised money to pay for our office space in Kyle, Texas.
URGENT ACTION - HONDURAS
FIAN Honduras, an organization dedicated to human rights and ending hunger recognized by the United Nations, has issued an urgent action. On August 30, 53 members of the National Police stationed in the municipalities of Victoria and Sulaco, Yoro, evacuated with extreme violence, supposedly obeying an order of evacuation from the Court, a group of women, children and elderly, members of 62 families that are farmers of the Farmer’s Association "Hernandez Figueroa", of the community of Los Chorros, Sulaco, Yoro.
Afterwards, relatives and employees of the landowner destroyed 16 homes of the farmworkers. Police continue deployed in the area, prohibiting that the farmworkers draw water and have threatening to burn their crops.
FIAN Honduras can be found via Web: www.fian.hn, Tel: (504) 220-0542, Email: fian@fian.hn . The urgent action can be found at www.fian.hn/documentos/ComUrgente%20Caso%20EAC%20Hernandez%20Figueroa.pdf .
TPS UPDATE FOR EL SALVADOR
The BKC is pleased that 100% of our TPS clients from El Salvador renewed their Temporary Protected Status during July and August, and we assisted several new Salvadorans with their TPS renewals as well. The deadline for re-registration was September 1.
LA VOZ DE BERNARDO KOHLER : July, 2006
BKC 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The Bernardo Kohler Center will be celebrating our five-year anniversary on August 5 2006 at 9:00 p.m. This fundraising event will be hosted by Taq. Jalisco Mexican Restaurant at 1304 West Koenig Lane in Austin. Come celebrate 5 years of dedication to immigrant rights with music from Mexico and Central America, dancing, and prizes. Admission is only $5, and proceeds go to benefit the center.
Our five-year anniversary event is sure to inspire with stories of the life-changing work performed by the BKC. This event is also the source of critical funding to serve more people throughout our service area. If you own a business, we hope you will contribute your tax-deductible donation for this event. A donation of $100 or more will give your business full Sponsor status, and a donation of any amount less than $100 is greatly appreciated, and will give your business Donor status.
COURT LEGAL ACCESS PROJECT UPDATE
Through the first 4 months, the BKC has provided representation to 12 individuals through the Court Legal Access project, including 5 juveniles.
A team of attorneys from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosatti volunteered to represented three juveniles. After initial analysis, it was determined that two of the juveniles (a 17 year-old girl and her 16 year-old brother) are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile status. At the State court hearing for termination of parental rights on behalf of the two children in May, the judge granted the petition and signed our suggested order. The attorneys then prepared and filed an application for Special Immigrant Juvenile status with the CIS, requesting that the application be expedited. We received an approval of SIJ status for both in June. The three children also appear eligible for asylum, and the attorneys prepared to move forward for all three (the third child is a 5 year-old nephew of the siblings). At a hearing in May with the immigration judge, she indicated that she wanted asylum applications for all three regardless of the State court determination. A subsequent hearing was set for June 18th to turn in the applications, but the immigration judge did not attend court due to an illness and the hearing has been rescheduled. The next Immigration Court hearing is scheduled for July, and asylum will be requested for the 5 year-old boy. However, since the SIJ application has been approved, we will request that the immigration judge move forward with an Adjustment of Status for the other two.
An attorney from Tindall and Foster volunteered to represent a woman with her application for asylum. The woman is detained and the attorney held a bond hearing before the immigration judge. The judge denied bond, and the woman will be proceeding on her asylum claim from detention. The next hearing is scheduled for July.
Another case involves an 18 year-old who is pursuing a claim for asylum. Shannon MacCleery represented him in a bond hearing, and he has been given a reasonable bond. There is no hearing scheduled yet for the asylum process.
Another case involves a pastor from Guatemala who has been threatened by a policeman because he intervened when the policeman sexually harassed a woman at his church. The gentleman is currently being detained in Laredo.
Another case involves a 17 year-old boy from Honduras who has been the victim of severe domestic violence. This boy is currently being detained in Nixon. About 7 years ago, his father began to force the boy’s half-sister to have sexual relations and impregnated her. Recently, the father decided that the boy was old enough to potentially take revenge for all of the abuse he has perpetrated on the family. His abuse increased, and he began threatening to kill him.
TPS UPDATE FOR HONDURAS / EL SALVADOR
The BKC is pleased that 100% of our clients TPS clients from Honduras renewed their Temporary Protected Status during May and June, and we assisted several new Hondurans with their TPS renewals as well. Nationally, only about 50% of eligible Hondurans renewed their TPS status.
TPS renewals for Salvadorans will be accepted from July 3 – September 1. The BKC has begun appointments for eligible Salvadorans, and we hope to have similar success. In order to re-register for the extension of TPS, a TPS applicant will have to submit Form I-821 without filing fee, Form I-765, and a filing fee of $180 with the I-765 Form. The DHS is also requiring a payment of $70 for a biometrics fee in relation to each applicant 14 years of age or older.
