Activism

Resources for Afghanistan Refugees and SIV Applicants

We are heartbroken about the situation in Afghanistan right now, especially coming on the heels of decades of colonial occupation and war, and angry at the Biden Administration’s massive failure to do anything remotely helpful for thousands of displaced persons. We are working to ensure that the Biden Administration grants TPS to Afghanistan so that persons residing in the United States are not removed to a country that is...

Success Story: Luis Mora Receives Work Permit

There’s more good news on the Luis Mora front, one of our more high-profile cases removal defense cases. Last December, Mr. Mora was detained at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a checkpoint and since he was out of status, he was apprehended and detained. He spent New Year behind bars, and expected to be deported. He became the public face of the need to pass the DREAM Act,...

We Released Four More Immigrant Detainees from Otay Mesa!

In a powerful showing of solidarity and community, Attorney Lal, Luis Mora, and RISE at Berkeley, worked together to post bond for clients of the ABA Immigration Justice Project of San Diego who were detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. The ABA Immigration Justice Project of San Diego had fought hard to win bonds in these cases but these individuals were detained due to their inability to pay bond. “I...

UC Berkeley Student Released from ICE Detention

  Attorney Prerna Lal secured the release of Luis Mora from detention today on a minimum bond of $1500. Luis is free to continue his schooling at the University of California, Berkeley. His fight is long from over, but this was an important victory won for him. Mora was arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over winter break as he visited his girlfriend in Chula Vista, California. His...

Time Is Now For Executive Action On Immigration

Today, in Washington D.C., 11 undocumented immigrants formally requested that President Obama expand his expected administrative action on immigration to include the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants. The request was accompanied by another legal memo outlining that the President has the authority to grant relief from deportation to a broad number of people.  The President should authorize the Department of Homeland Security to swiftly grant the deferred action requests filed today, and expand...