We are excited to announce that VECINA has launched the Freedom of Movement Project, a new project that will focus on assisting Afghan nationals and their petitioners to request permission for them to enter the United States. We invite you to join us in this project.

Project Background and Overview

After years of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, our country has officially withdrawn its presence.  Almost immediately, the Taliban overthrew the government and seized power, throwing the country into chaos. Many have died, and thousands more are being hunted, looking for a way to escape. 

VECINA has received several inquiries asking for assistance for Afghan nationals in hiding to apply for humanitarian parole as a way for them to enter the United States.  Humanitarian parole is an application compiled with forms and documents, along with a filing fee, and sent to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Under this project, VECINA will mentor and train pro bono attorneys and other volunteers to prepare humanitarian parole applications for submission.

Ways You Can Help

UPDATE: We are not currently accepting new volunteers for this project.

Pro Bono Attorney

As a pro bono attorney, you must carry an active law license within the United States. For this project, you will be preparing and filing a request for humanitarian parole on behalf of an Afghan national. While the amount of time required to complete a case varies widely, we anticipate that on most cases approximately 5-10 hours of attorney time is needed. You will enter your appearance as the attorney of record when filing the petition, and the average case can last for several weeks up to and including several months.

Provide Administrative Assistance

If you aren’t a licensed attorney, you can still help! Admin volunteers will be paired with attorney and will assist in filling out the forms and preparing all the documents. Similar to the attorney role, the amount of time required can vary widely, but we anticipate that in most cases, 5-10 hours of time is required.

Serve as a Financial Sponsor

Each application requires a financial sponsor who will sign a form and provide financial information to the government. For more information about the requirements and obligations, you can check out this FAQ.

Donate

As always, we can’t do what we do without our supporters! We would love for you to donate to support this project, as well as VECINA’s other work fighting for immigrant justice. Donations of any amount are appreciated!

Comments

  1. 1
    Claudia Badillo on October 7, 2021

    I am an attorney in Chicago. I have helped on 3 unaccompanied minor cases but I still want to help!
    However, I have absolutely no experience in asylum or immigration cases so I would need to be trained!

  2. 2
    Pamela Diaz on October 7, 2021

    Looking forward to help in this type of cases.

Comments are closed.