After Seven-Year Effort, Paul, Weiss Secures Asylum for Pro Bono Clients

Following a seven-year pro bono effort by Paul, Weiss, our clients, a mother and young daughter from El Salvador, were granted asylum after their merits hearing in Immigration Court.

Our clients arrived in the U.S. after fleeing horrific violence. There were several significant challenges to a successful asylum petition, including prior case law that was hostile to refugees fleeing violence, a substantial backlog in the immigration courts, and repeated hearing adjournments. Our primary client, the mother, remained resilient despite these challenges, and worked with the Paul, Weiss team over many years—including four rescheduled hearings—to diligently prepare for her hearing, which required probing deeply into her history of trauma.

At the hearing, the immigration judge granted asylum based on our client’s past persecution, and acknowledged the thorough filings from the Paul, Weiss team. Our client is profoundly grateful to the team and firm for the sustained effort to advance her case throughout the years, and is excited to close this uncertain and difficult chapter of her life.

A number of associates and paralegals provided critical support to our clients over the years. The hearing was led by litigation associate Ameya Ananth and included litigation associate Daniel Winter. The team was advised by pro bono attorney Pradine Saint-Fort and supervised by litigation partner Liza Velazquez.