Although protected from the MS-13 gang, the family now needed to obtain a Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for Lillian so she could legally stay in the country under the guardianship of Cesar. Following a referral from Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) , Mintz attorneys Kaitlin Walsh and Todd Rosenbaum stepped in to help, eventually filing a guardianship petition and supporting brief in New York family court just before the deadline of Lillian’s twenty-first birthday.
I am grateful for and honored by the incredible experience of representing this family on their path to US citizenship. The way Gabriela and Cesar supported their cousin Lillian through the SIJS process was inspiring. Everyone deserves an advocate, and it is especially rewarding to fill that role for a family that I came to know and love.
Member
Kaitlin R. Walsh
Pro Bono Team
Clare Prober
Associate
Whitney M. Costin
Special Counsel
Kaitlin R. Walsh
Member
Todd Rosenbaum
Member
Lillian’s petition for SJIS status was approved in February 2021. Having developed a rapport with the family, Mintz had already begun helping Gabriela and her children apply for asylum. With guidance from Human Rights First, Mintz undertook the long and arduous process of attempting to secure asylum, including drafting numerous filings, compiling expert reports, and preparing the family to testify in court. Over the next several years, the case faced many complications and setbacks, taking an emotional toll on the group. The Mintz team supported Gabriela and her family through it all, and in July 2023, they were finally granted the asylum necessary to start planning for their futures.
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pro bono portfolio
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2023
learn more about this Important work
View the 2022
Pro Bono Portfolio
© 2024 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo. P.C.
Collaborating to Improve
Lives and Communities
Pro bono service is at the heart of Mintz's culture and identity. Together, we provide individuals with life-changing assistance and support the nonprofit organizations that care for our communities.
Learn More
In their home country of El Salvador, Gabriela and her family were terrorized by members of the MS-13 gang, who threatened them and viciously assaulted her husband, Cesar. The family was able to flee the country, along with Cesar’s cousin Lillian, and find safety in the United States in 2016.
Lead Attorneys
Supporting Team
Eleanor Shea
Former Project Analyst
Selena Kitchens
Former Project Analyst
Olivia Graham
Former Project Analyst
Tucker Kelsch
Project Analyst
Mintz’s tireless advocacy on behalf of an asylum-seeking family from El Salvador, which resulted in grants of asylum and SIJS, made a profound impact on an entire household who will no longer fear return to abuse or death. Without our partners at Mintz, we could not fulfill our mission to support vulnerable asylum seekers from around the world who would otherwise lack access to representation and protection.
Volunteer Spotlight
Greer A. Clem
Associate
Lifesaving Legal Work Gives Migrant Family
a New Start
When I supervised the junior attorneys who worked on this high-stakes and complicated asylum case, I felt like I had come full circle. As a young associate, I worked on an asylum case with a similar defensive merits hearing. I’m incredibly thankful that Mintz supports pro bono work on critical cases like these and for the opportunity to provide guidance to an incredibly dedicated and talented team.
Member
Todd Rosenbaum
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
Human
Rights First
Independent Consultant, Refugee Representation Human Rights First
rebecca taylor
(KIND)
Pro Bono Team
© 2024 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
View the 2022
Pro Bono Portfolio
Collaborating to Improve Lives and Communities
Pro bono service is at the heart of Mintz's culture and identity. Together, we provide individuals with life-changing assistance and support the nonprofit organizations that care for our communities.
Learn More
mintz
pro bono portfolio
//