Mission Moments
ILAp Board of Director’s Mission Moments
Barbara Leen:
“As an immigration attorney and a member of ILAP’s Board, I am continually reminded of the profound impact our work has on the lives of immigrants and our broader community. Immigration law is notoriously complex, and for many immigrants, navigating this system without legal assistance can be an overwhelming and insurmountable challenge. Our work at ILAP does more than just guide immigrants through legal procedures; it provides a foundation for stability and success. I have seen firsthand how ILAP’s services unlock the potential of newly arrived immigrants. By offering legal assistance, we open doors to opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach. ILAP’s work is vital because it stands at the intersection of justice, compassion, and community strength.”
Erin Reed:
“A gentleman came in who wanted to apply for his first work permit. We discovered that due to poor legal assistance he received prior to coming to Maine, he was not eligible for a work permit and would not be for at least a year. We referred him to ILAP. They got it sorted out and he is now able to work and care for his family!”
César Britos:
“I’m inspired by ILAP’s work because I am an immigrant. When I arrived in the U.S. in 1986, I found many people willing to selflessly lend me a hand. Now, it’s my turn to be the helping hand.”
Arnie Macdonald:
“To choose one moment I would pick my first meeting with my second ever asylum client, an 18-year-old from a Central African country who experienced the death of many close family members before making a harrowing escape himself.
He arrived in Maine with $30 and the clothes on his back, and was living alone, making it through the snow to all of his classes. In our first meeting he was so traumatized he could barely speak. His shoulders shrank and his eyes were low and teary. All he said, over and over, was ‘thank you.’ With this, you could see a grace in him beneath all of the trauma. I went home and said to my wife, ‘I don’t know about asylum, I just want to see him smile.’ As he was just in between my kids’ age, I brought him home for dinner, and again for his birthday.
It has been 12 years now and he has spent every Christmas and Thanksgiving with us. His smile lights up the room. Our whole family has learned and grown so much from his stories of growing up in Africa, teasing hippopotamuses, making soccer balls out of plastic bags, survival and gratitude for the simplest food, and even here his generosity and resilience as he will go days without eating and give away his last dollar when he has not eaten to someone he thinks needs it more. He has graduated from college and is working in his chosen career, health care, where he can help others.”
Alicia Curtis:
“I believe that as a lawyer, I have an obligation to use my education and credentials to help provide access to justice for those who could not otherwise afford it. I was inspired to work on ILAP’s pro bono panel and serve on ILAP’s Board, when I saw the constitutional rights of immigrants under attack and realized how difficult it is for immigrants to navigate the immigration system.”