The Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund has funded a growing number of legal cases for detained immigrants. Here are some of their stories.
Oumar from Mauritania
According to World Nomads, the “Northwest African country of Mauritania struggles with poverty, terrorism, slavery, escalating crime and heavily mined border areas.” A young man named Oumar fled those conditions and spent months in the Aurora, CO immigration detention center, hoping that he could win asylum. A visitation and pen pal volunteer asked the Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund to assist. Oumar was the first detained immigrant for whom we hired an attorney, and he was subsequently granted asylum in September 2020.
“NDB” from Cameroon
Over the last several years, French-speaking majority leaders have been oppressing the English-speaking minority population to the extent that many international observers consider it a state of genocide.
When “NDB” and his friend protested, his friend was killed, while NDB was arrested, beaten and imprisoned several times before he was able to flee to the US to seek asylum. He was placed in detention for months. The CIJF funded his legal case, enabling him to win asylum. He has now started a new life in the United States.
“MT” from Cameroon
MT protested the oppression by the French majority troops in Cameroon, and narrowly escaped a protest where armed troops violently intervened. He and his friend were later arrested, at which point his friend was shot and killed. MT was able to escape, where he hid in the forest for 20 days prior to fleeing to Nigeria and then the US.
After claiming asylum in the US, he was placed in a rural detention center. While detained, an attorney funded by the CIJF helped him win asylum, and he is living as a free man in the US today.
“Nasr” from Yemen
Perhaps the worst humanitarian crisis in the world has been unfolding in Yemen since 2014.
Due to ongoing conflict, more than two thirds of the people in Yemen cannot afford sufficient food to meet their daily needs. Roughly 4.5 million people are internally displaced, and women and children are at especially high risk of human trafficking and other forms of violence.
A Yemeni man was able to flee to the US to claim asylum. He was placed in detention, where a CIJF-funded attorney took up his case. He subsequently won asylum, and his wife and children were reunited with him this year!
“Teddy” from Eritrea
According to Human Rights Watch, the African country of Eritrea continues “to severely repress its population, imposing restrictions on freedom of expression, opinion, and faith, and restricting independent scrutiny by international monitors.”
After “Teddy” spoke out against the Eritrean government, he was imprisoned. He was eventually able to escape prison and complete a long and dangerous trip to the US. After requesting asylum, he was imprisoned in a US detention center.
A CIJF-funded attorney took up his case and helped him win asylum. Today, Teddy is a free man living in the US.
“Moalin” from Ethiopia
According to Human Rights Watch, 5.6 million Ethiopians were internally displaced in 2022 due to “armed conflict . . . drought and other natural hazards.”
Moalin is a trained nurse and has a masters of Public Health. He was conscripted by the Ethiopian army to work in the war against Tigray - a region in northern Ethiopia. Moalin is opposed to the war, so he fled to the US, where he was imprisoned in a detention center.
CIJF provided the funding for immigration attorney Elizabeth Lopez to take up his case. Due to her efforts, Moalin won asylum!
“Shafici” from Somalia
Shafici was a nurse in Somalia who was forcibly recruited by the Somalian militant group Al Shabab. He was targeted because he was a nurse who could provide medical care to injured soldiers.
After refusing to join, Shafici was kidnapped and beaten for three days. Against long odds, he escaped and fled to the US / Mexico border. After requesting asylum, he was imprisoned in a detention center.
CIJF provided funds for immigration attorney Elizabeth Lopez to take Shafici’s case. He won his case and is now living as a free man in the United States.
“Abera” from Ethiopia
“Abera” worked for the Ethiopian Land Management Department. He was conscripted by the Ethiopian army to work in the war against Tigray - a region in northern Ethiopia. Abera is opposed to the war, so he fled to the US, where he was imprisoned in a detention center.
CIJF provided the funding for immigration attorney Elizabeth Lopez to take up his case. Due to her efforts, Abera won asylum this year!