Summer LIA In Review

This summer, I volunteered at an Immigration Legal Clinic through Afrikana in collaboration with Fordham Law, where I used my French language skills to support African migrants as they navigate the U.S. immigration system. Through this role, I assisted with asylum applications and trained with an attorney to gain a deeper understanding of immigration law.

It was some of the most fulfilling work I have done. I was overjoyed to know that I was able to help someone resolve a legal issue free of cost, and to be able to connect with them in a language that they are familiar with. I also witnessed firsthand the in's and out's of the process that is applying for citizenship, and I have come to understand that it is a deeply inaccessible process. As someone who speaks English, with the constant changes, updates, new rules, as well as bureaucratic processes, and delays that can take years, I myself was confused by the process and took time to work through. For families and individuals who do not speak English, and have existing financial barriers to accessing immigration lawyers, or who do not know about resources like Afrikana, it is becoming more and more difficult by the day to navigate. As I am half Guinean, I was ecstatic to give back to my community in such a direct way, and engage with such a prominent issue in New York City at this time.