ILAP’s Impact: Asylum
Ongoing attacks and unpredictable changes have decimated the U.S. asylum system, but ILAP is committed to helping as many people as possible make their rightful claims and find safety from persecution. Our Asylum Program reaches more than 1,000 Mainers each year, including through representation by our dedicated Pro Bono Panel members, community workshops, and more.
Pro Bono attorneys from Berman & Simmons celebrate a grant of asylum with their clients in the halls of Boston Immigration Court in early 2019.
ILAP has been part of the network of people and organizations welcoming asylum seekers to Maine since our founding in 1993. Since then, Maine’s asylum-seeking communities have grown and the asylum process has become increasingly complicated and unjust. As a result, people applying for asylum are more likely to be granted this form of protection if they have the help of a good lawyer who understands the system.
ILAP provides full representation to individuals seeking asylum by placing their case with a lawyer from our Pro Bono Panel or with one of our in-house staff attorneys. These attorneys help clients submit their application for asylum, prepare for their interview with an Asylum Officer and, when necessary, present their case in a hearing before an immigration judge. Each year, our Pro Bono Panel donates over 3,500 hours of their time and expertise to represent nearly 200 asylum seekers.
Recently, the Panel has helped a father from Rwanda win permanent residency, secured asylum for a family from Afghanistan, and advocated fearlessly for an immigrant detained at the height of the pandemic, among other legal victories.
“I am in awe of [my clients’] strength, resilience, and hopefulness…My pro bono work is truly the most important and rewarding thing I have done as a lawyer, and I enjoy my regular work. I am so grateful to ILAP for providing me the training and support to be able to do this work.”
To provide legal guidance and support to as many people as possible, we also give guidance and assistance to people who are applying for asylum without an attorney. These services include consultations, help with procedural issues like change of venue, a comprehensive online and in-person workshop series, and a growing list of translated self-help resources on our website. For example, through our special Mendez Rojas Project, in 2021 and early 2022 we assisted more than 150 people who qualified as class members of a settlement agreement that allowed them to apply for asylum even if they missed an important one-year filing deadline because of failures by the federal government.
Unfortunately, the need is often greater than what ILAP can provide, so we also join with our partners to advocate for systemic change and to promote and safeguard the rights of all asylum seekers in Maine. No matter the challenges, we will continue to provide legal services to asylum seekers to help them find safety from persecution while advocating to create a better, more equitable system.
To read more about our asylum work, check out our Lives in Limbo: How the Boston Asylum Office Fails Asylum Seekers report that uncovered a culture of distrust and bias at the Boston Asylum Office.
Support our work
ILAP’s community makes this work possible. Because of the support of community members like you, ILAP provides legal services to asylum seekers to help them find safety from persecution while advocating for a better, more equitable system. We hope you’ll join us today in advancing justice for asylum seekers in Maine!