Category: News

Afghans in U.S. await stability and immigration answers | WFAE

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By: Kayla Young

Read more: Afghans in U.S. await stability and immigration answers | WFAE 90.7 – Charlotte’s NPR News Source

A year after the fall of Kabul, Afghans who fled to the United States still face an uncertain future. Organizations such as the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy are now pushing for passage of the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act and a pathway to citizenship.

When Taliban insurgents took control of Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, in August of last year, Bahroz Mohmand watched the news in disbelief from the United States.

The 33-year-old interpreter never expected to see his home country revert to Taliban control.

“I was surprised. I was pissed off. I was sad,” Mohmand said. “It was a very difficult situation for me to basically calm myself down because I was worried about the family.”

Mohmand moved to the United States in 2012 under a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), made possible by his work as a Dari and Pashto interpreter for the U.S. Army.

“I was born in war. I was raised in war. I never saw the good side of my country,” he said. “The only time that it was good was basically when from 2001, when the U.S. Army came until, you know, August 15 that everything collapsed under the Taliban regime.”

He is now a U.S. citizen. But for many of the 76,000 Afghans who fled to the U.S. in the past year, their immigration options are more limited. Many fear eventual deportation, including Mohmand’s niece, 17-year-old Tahira Askari.

Askari described the chaos of her evacuation in her native language, Dari. Mohmand interpreted.

“Everything was falling apart. People were running around stores. You could see families getting desperate, separated from each other. Everybody was heading towards the airport,” she said.

Askari and her family boarded an evacuation flight to Qatar, then Germany and eventually reunited with Mohmand in Charlotte.

Mohmand says for Askari, life under Taliban rule is a foreign concept.

Read more: Afghans in U.S. await stability and immigration answers | WFAE 90.7 – Charlotte’s NPR News Source

Tahira, a 17-year-old Afghan evacuee and Advocacy Center client, shares her journey to the US and what it is like to live in legal limbo | Spectrum News

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When 17-year old Tahira Askari fled Taliban controlled Kabul last August, she did not know what life would be like for her in America. Tahira and her uncle, Bahroz Mohmand, a decorated Afghan interpreter who supported US military operations in Afghanistan for 10 years, joined Spectrum News on August 17, 2022. The two shared their harrowing journeys and the legal limbo Tahira and other Afghan evacuees now face as the Advocacy Center helps them apply for asylum. The two stressed the importance of the passage of bipartisan legislation known as the Afghan Adjustment Act. The legislation would provide a clear path to citizenship for Afghan evacuees, fulfilling a promise the United States pledged to keep them safe.

With Evictions Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Charlotte Attorneys Describe Human Consequences

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By Sam Carnes, Queens University News Service

Evictions in Mecklenburg County have returned to pre-pandemic levels and are now averaging 2,500 per month, a rate that keeps Charlotte among the nation’s top cities for evictions, say attorneys with legal aid organizations that represent tenants. 

The most recent data from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts indicates a level of 30,000 eviction cases annually, said Isaac Sturgill, an attorney specializing in housing with Legal Aid of North Carolina. The Eviction Lab, a project of Princeton University, ranks Charlotte sixth in the nation for evictions. A 2017 UNC Charlotte Urban Institute report indicated that 28,471 eviction complaints were filed in the 2015-16 fiscal year.  

These rates have human consequences, said Toussaint Romain, who recently became chief executive officer for the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. Romain recalls visiting Charlotte’s tent city of homeless people in August 2020. 

“We really saw whole families, like a mom and a dad and three babies who were living in a tent for the first time in their lives,” Romain said. “They were there because they worked in the service industry. And when COVID happened, shut all that down, and they were kicked out of their places because of not paying rent. … and I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a 2-year-old baby, you know, that was homeless.” 

Sturgill and Romain are two of dozens of attorneys who represent people experiencing the worst consequences of the rising cost of housing in Mecklenburg County. Without a course correction in the cost of housing, these lawyers say, Charlotte risks becoming a city like San Francisco. 

“Charlotte is on track to be a city for white-collar professionals that make a certain income, [with] an underclass of people who serve the professional class,” said Ismaail Qaiyim, who founded the Queen City Community Law Firm and works with the Housing Justice Coalition CLT and the Latin American Coalition. 

Read more: Charlotte Journalism Collaborative

‘Break that vicious cycle. Lessons as public defender key to Toussaint Romain’s new role

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BY LAUREN LINDSTROM

Charlotte NC-As Toussaint Romain settles into his role as Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s new chief executive, the clients he represented for a decade as a criminal public defender are never far from his mind. When clients used to walk into his office, he could anticipate all the economic and civil matters that might have led them to his door. A past eviction, revoked driver’s license or unresolved immigration issue often lingered in a client’s history, threatening their economic stability.

Romain joined the nonprofit legal firm and advocacy organization in mid-May as its new CEO, a role he was drawn to as a way to tackle these upstream legal issues that often trap low-income people in cycles of poverty and thwart economic mobility. “Folks are desperate. They have criminal records, can’t get jobs, don’t have housing,” he said.

Romain, who was most recently deputy general counsel for Appalachian State University and spent a decade as a public defender in Mecklenburg County, said returning to Charlotte for this role continues the work he’s fought for his entire career — providing essential access to legal representation and resources for vulnerable residents to achieve upward mobility. “We’re really trying to break that vicious cycle by providing the resources, legal information and legal advice” that people need, he said.

Read more at: charlotteobserver.com

Q&A with Toussaint Romain: the new CEO of the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy | QCityMetro

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The Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is a non-profit organization that provides legal aid to those who need it, but cannot afford it.

The organization recently announced that Toussaint Romain would be the new chief executive officer effective May 16.

Romain has been a public defender and taught courses in constitutional law and mass incarceration. He also participated in the Keith Lamont Scott protests of 2016.

QCity Metro sat down with Romain to discuss his role as CEO and his interest in legal advocacy. The answers below have been edited for clarity.

What will your role be as CEO of the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy?

We [Charlotte Legal Advocacy] have some very highly esteemed lawyers, paralegals and support staff. They will continue to do the individual representation, but also systemic advocacy. We have navigators who are getting into the community, meeting their needs, and putting a soapbox up by going to community centers and providing information and services. I look to do all of that.

But the biggest part of what I will focus on are the external relationships that this organization needs. There’s so much phenomenal work being done here. We need to tell our story and we need to really allow folks to know who we are so that they understand that their needs are getting met through our services, either through individual clients or through potential donors and supporters.

Read the full Q & A on qcitymetro.com

Toussaint Romain will lead Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy | WFAE 90.7

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Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has a new chief executive officer. As a former public defender, law professor and civil rights activist, Toussaint Romain is no stranger to the legal system.

In his new role, Romain says there are three core values that the Advocacy Center is focusing on, which are part of the organization’s vision to build a just community.

“The first is safety which is especially important,” Romain said. “Second is economic security so people can take care of their basic needs. And finally, stability because we want to make sure folks know that they’re in an environment where it’s going to be stable and that they’re able to move forward with the hope of upward mobility and economic opportunity.”

Romain says the Advocacy Center partners with other organizations so they can offer more than legal services.

“We’ve been involved in the community since 1967 to really help that child, that mother, that immigrant, that person with disabilities, that veteran and that senior,” Romain said. “That’s what’s most important, and we get to do it on a daily basis.”

Read the full story on WFAE.org

“Helps Everyone”: Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy appoints new CEO|Queen City News

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CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – After a nationwide search of over six months, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy found their next leader in their very own backyard. Toussaint C. Romain has dedicated his professional life to the people of Charlotte – as a public defender, a civil rights leader, and a community organizer. And he has big plans for the center even before his first official day on the job begins next Monday, May 16, 2022. 

Romain is the first person of color to stand at the center’s helm. He says its mission is to promote justice within its core values of “safety, economic security, and stability.” 

It sounds like an enormous task for only a staff of 40 but they also have formidable reinforcements of approximately 500 pro bono lawyers from various industries across the county. 

See the full coverage on Queen City News

Celebrating Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Historical Confirmation

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Today marks a historic day as Ketanji Brown Jackson is confirmed to the Supreme Court as the first female African American Justice, a long overdue first.  Of the 115 justices that have served on the Supreme Court, only seven have not been white men.  Jackson is undoubtedly a powerful symbol of what can and should be achieved by women of color.

Jackson’s presence on the Court will widen the perspectives that are brought to judicial debate.  Her own lived experience as a Black woman enriches her assessments of day-to-day life in the United States, providing a necessary counterpoint to the historical white male majority.

As an organization that focuses on fighting for justice for those that need it, not just those that can afford it, the Advocacy Center sees Jackson as a fellow champion.  At her confirmation hearings Jackson said, “I have dedicated my career to ensuring that the words engraved on the front of the Supreme Court building, “Equal Justice Under Law”, are a reality and not just an ideal.”

Jackson served as a public defender for nearly nine years, choosing to defend men and women who could not afford a lawyer but deserved justice.  She also comes to the Court having served as a U.S. District Court judge for eight years, an area of legal work only shared by one other Justice, Sonia Sotomayor.  Her experience as a trial judge provided her with the unique opportunity to directly confront the impact our judicial system was having on people’s lives. Jackson understands the importance of seeing the humanity of all people in the courtroom, an understanding that will no doubt affect her legal interpretations in the highest courtroom in our country.

Most importantly, Jackson’s prior rulings have shown a dedication to upholding legal protections for people with disabilities, workers, immigrants, and those most vulnerable.  These are the men, women, and families we fight for every day, who will be impacted by Jackson fighting for them too.

‘The least we can do.’ Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy hosts asylum application clinic

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Charlotte NC-The Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s offices in east Charlotte were filled with lawyers and immigrants working together to file asylum applications on Saturday.

After people enter the country and are detained at the border, they generally have one year to file for asylum through an I-589 form. Though people can file the applications themselves without the aid of an attorney, legal assistance drastically improves their chances for success in immigration court.//accepted

This weekend’s clinic is the first of its kind in North Carolina, CCLA immigration attorney Rebekah Niblock said, though similar clinics have been held throughout the country.

Though the clinic’s participants won’t be legally represented by the CCLA in court, it’s a way for the agency, overburdened with requests, to expand its reach and serve more clients without having to turn anyone away.

“We can’t accept everyone,” Niblock said. “But the least we can do is help them get their applications out.”

Read more at: charlotteobserver.com

Biden Implements 100 Day Moratorium on Removal Proceedings

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On inauguration day, the Biden Administration announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would “conduct a review of [all] policies and practices concerning immigration enforcement” to, among other things, “build fair and effective asylum procedures that respect human rights and due process.” Titled the “Pekoske Memo,” the announcement also requires DHS to provide recommendations for the issuance of revised policies as soon as possible and no later than 100 days.

The Pekoske Memo prohibits removal (deportation), for 100 days beginning January 22, 2021, of any immigrant who was present in the US before November 1, 2020. There are only two categories of persons to whom this moratorium does not apply. The first category includes persons who are terrorists, suspected terrorists or individuals who pose a national security threat. The second category is comprised of individuals who have stipulated to removal as part of a criminal disposition.

The Pekoske Memo further instructs DHS that, during the 100-day period beginning February 1, 2021, any actions taken by DHS that would be permitted outside of the removal moratorium be consistent with the priority of apprehending and removing immigrants only in the following categories: (a) terrorists, suspected terrorists or other individuals who pose a national security threat; (b) individuals who crossed the border after Nov. 1, 2020; and (c) non-citizens who have committed certain serious crimes as defined by immigration law.”

The moratorium will impact the vast majority of immigrants in the United States. However, we caution immigrants who have had contact with the criminal justice system to determine whether they might have stipulated to removal as part of a criminal disposition. A stipulation to removal as part of a criminal disposition disqualifies a person from eligibility for the moratorium on removal. Immigrants who have had contact with the criminal justice system and are worried about removal (deportation) should call Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy for assistance in making this determination.

With limited exceptions, the Pekoske Memo provides a desperately-needed reprieve to immigrants who, for the last several years, have woken up to the daily realization that this day may be their last here. We celebrate the memo’s publication and look forward to the reforms that are underway at DHS!

You can find a full text of the Pekoskie Memo at: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_0120_enforcement-memo_signed.pdf

El Memo de Pekoske prohíbe la deportación por 100 días

El día de la inauguración, la Administración de Biden anunció que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) “realizaría una revisión de [todas] las políticas y prácticas relacionadas con la aplicación de la ley de inmigración” entre otras cosas, “construir procedimientos de asilo justos y efectivos que respeten los derechos humanos y debido proceso “. Titulado “Pekoske Memo”, el anuncio también requiere que el DHS brinde recomendaciones para la emisión de políticas revisadas lo antes posible y no más tarde de 100 días.

El Memo de Pekoske prohíbe la deportación por 100 días, comenzando el 22 de enero del 2021, de cualquier inmigrante presente en los EE. UU. antes del 1 de noviembre de 2020. Solo hay dos categorías de personas a las que no se aplica esta moratoria. La primera categoría consiste de personas que son terroristas, presuntos terroristas o personas que representan una amenaza para la seguridad nacional. La segunda categoría está compuesta por personas que han estipulado la deportación como parte de una disposición criminal.

El Memo de Pekoske también instruye al DHS que durante el período de 100 días que comienza el 1 de febrero de 2021, cualquier acción tomada por el DHS que se permitiría fuera de la moratoria de deportación sea consistente con la prioridad de aprehender y expulsar inmigrantes solo en las siguientes categorías: (a) terroristas, presuntos terroristas o personas que representan una amenaza para la seguridad nacional; (b) individuales que cruzaron la frontera después del día 1 de noviembre 2020; y (c) no-ciudadanos que hayan cometido delitos graves según lo definido por la ley de inmigración.

La moratoria afectara a la gran mayoría de los inmigrantes en los Estados Unidos. En cambio, nosotros advertimos a los inmigrantes que han tenido contacto con el sistema de justicia criminal que determinen si podrían haber estipulado la deportación como parte de una disposición criminal. Una estipulación de remoción como parte de una disposición criminal descalifica a una persona de la elegibilidad para la moratoria de deportación. Inmigrantes que hayan tenido contacto con el sistema de justicia criminal y están preocupados de la deportación son bienvenidos a llamarnos para obtener ayuda para tomar esta determinación.

Con limitadas excepciones, el Memo de Pekoske proporciona un respiro que tanto necesita la comunidad inmigrante que durante los últimos años se han despertado y se han dado cuenta este día puede ser el último aquí. Celebramos la publicación del memorando y esperamos con interés las reformas que se están llevando a cabo en el DHS.

Puede encontrar el texto completo del Memo de Pekoskie en: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_0120_enforcement-memo_signed.pdf