Hakim* was severely persecuted in his home country for being gay. The ridicule and harassment he experienced was so severe that he was forced to drop out of school. The threat escalated and a mob, urged on by local leadership, murdered his father and his partner. Hakim himself barely escaped with his life. Hakim ended up in Indiana and that is when he sought help from the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic.

In case you missed it, this July, we highlighted our Immigrant Justice Program, sharing our hearts for our immigrant neighbors, focusing on compelling client stories, and clarifying the historical context for immigration in this country.

In honor of the July 4th holiday last week, we are celebrating the naturalization of several of our clients, which is when someone becomes a U.S. Citizen. Before becoming a citizen, a person must first become a Legal Permanent Resident, which is colloquially referred to as having a Green Card. Here are just three recent stories.

Refugee. What a loaded word these days. As we celebrate “World Refugee Day” on June 20th, it feels appropriate to unpack that word a little. So let’s start with the basics: What is a refugee? 

This month at the Clinic, we are gearing up for our next Justice For All Gala on Oct. 5! You can reserve your ticket here now--and if you do so before the end of August, you can get 20% off the regular ticket price by using the coupon code AUG20OFF!

She contemplated taking her two children and leaving him, but this option was fraught. “Her husband threatened her that if she ever left and took their son, he would track her down, kill her, and kill anyone who helped her leave,” says Kelsey Raves, Clinic Victim Justice Program (VJP) Staff Attorney.