Immigration Clinic students won protection from deportation for a Somali American client who had been fighting his case for more than 20 years.
Second-year law student Andy Co and 3L Gianna Balli, under the supervision of Acting Associate Director Rachel Maremont, spent hundreds of hours preparing all aspects of the case. They then litigated a four-hour contested hearing, which they conducted via Webex in front of the Miami Immigration Court.
“The Immigration Clinic drew me to Miami Law, and the opportunity to have hands-on litigation experiences applying immigration law concepts is incredible,” said Co. “Advocating for our client was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and one I will never forget.”
At the hearing, the Court granted a statutory defense to deportation called withholding of removal. To win, an applicant must show that it is more likely than not that they will be persecuted because of one of five grounds, including political opinion.
The Clinic’s client is an outspoken radio host and reporter. On his radio show, he openly criticized Al-Shabaab, the powerful terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda that has controlled much of Somalia for two decades. In response to his reporting, Al-Shabaab made death threats against him, stalked him, and targeted his family in Somalia. Somalia is consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. With the Court’s favorable decision, the Clinic’s client will be protected from deportation and will be able to safely live and work in the United States.
Along with 91 other Somalis, the Clinic’s client was subject to inhumane and shocking conditions aboard ICE Air’s failed deportation flight to Somalia in 2017, which is the subject of Clinic Director Rebecca Sharpless’s forthcoming book Shackled. The Clinic’s advocacy following the flight allowed the client to reopen his immigration case, allowing him to seek relief that had previously been denied to him. Six years later, he finally got his new day in court.
After the hearing, Immigration Clinic students, faculty, and staff gathered in the new clinic space to give the client a standing ovation. The client, smiling broadly, thanked those gathered and said he was “really deeply appreciative” of the students’ work.
“This case exemplifies the best of what the Clinic can do – several years of students, faculty, and staff work culminated in a favorable outcome for our client and his family, even when the odds were against us,” said Maremont.
“Our client’s case was challenging and different than any litigation experience I had been exposed to throughout law school, but it is heartening to know that our months of hard work and belief in his case resulted in his secured safety in this country,” said Balli. “This experience has been one of my happiest and most gratifying moments in my law school career.”
Read more about Miami Law’s Immigration Clinic.
