U.S. Senators Must Hold the Line and Protect Asylum Law from Radical Changes
U.S. Senators Must Hold the Line and Protect Asylum Law from Radical Changes As negotiations continue this week in Washington, D.C. on President Biden’s supplemental funding request, the Florence Project renews its calls on lawmakers to ensure they protect life-saving asylum provisions from being bargained away in exchange for foreign funding for Ukraine, Israel, and […]
Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project Calls on Legislators to Separate Immigration Reform from Budget Negotiations
Amid recent reports of ongoing negotiations to couple international aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with potentially significant changes to the asylum system, the Florence Project calls on United States Senators, particularly Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who is one of the Senators reportedly negotiating a deal, to immediately reject the premise that these two pieces of legislation can […]
Florence Project Heartbroken by the Death of an Infant in CBP Custody
The Florence Project is utterly heartbroken by the death of a one-month-old baby in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody in Nogales, AZ on September 23, 2023. No one should die in pursuit of a better life, especially a child whose life was just beginning. According to a press release from CBP, the infant and […]
Honoring and Celebrating our 2023 Pro Bono Attorneys and Volunteers!
Next week is Pro Bono Appreciation Week and we are excited to share with you the winners of our 2023 Pro Bono Appreciation Awards! On Thursday, October 19, 2023, we celebrated and honored our generous, dedicated, and talented pro bono attorneys and volunteers at our annual Pro Bono Appreciation Event! Pro Bono attorneys and volunteers […]
Emiliano
Animation by Paola Roman for the Florence Project “Stick out your tongue if you can understand,” a nurse told Emiliano*. The 16-year-old boy lay in a pediatric care facility in Phoenix, Arizona, paralyzed and unable to speak or move his head. “Blink your eyes if your name is Emiliano,” the nurse suggested. And he did. […]
Jared
“I felt true happiness. I suddenly felt calm. It was a moment full of hope and I said thank you, God,” recalls our client Jared* (pictured on the left) regarding the moment the immigration judge granted him relief from deportation, affirming that he could legally stay and work in the U.S. Jared no longer […]
Tiana
Carmen Perez recently had an emotional moment with her client *Tiana. Carmen is a senior legal assistant for the Florence Project Children’s Program. She met Tiana in 2017, when Tiana was 16 years old and had recently arrived from Guatemala. This would be the first case that Carmen worked on from beginning to end. First, […]
Alam
In 2019, Alam fled his home in Bangladesh because his family faced persecution due to their political beliefs. The government began violently cracking down on anyone who opposed the ruling political party, leaving Alam afraid for his life. His trip to the U.S. was a modern-day odyssey: he first traveled to India, then flew to […]
Zabi
Zabi is a young man who fled Afghanistan in 2021, fearing for his safety because his family worked with U.S. forces. ️After 1.5 years detained, he won immigration relief this month through Florence Project attorney Kari Hong’s advocacy. Zabi turned 20 years old in ICE detention and was so excited to be free, he couldn’t sleep the night […]
Florence Project Welcomes Ruling Vacating Asylum Ban in East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Biden
The Florence Project is relieved and heartened by the decision in East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Biden to vacate the asylum ban, though it will not take effect for 14 days. President Biden’s asylum ban was implemented in May, after a rushed notice and comment period, and replaced Title 42 in drastically limiting access to […]
