Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to support the legal staff in the Religious Immigration Services, or RIS, department. This experience helped me learn about topics and procedures of great relevance that will be useful to my career as an attorney.

I obtained my law degree with honors from the Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes in my native Mexico in 2016, in addition to receiving an academic excellence award. I also completed a successful six-month academic exchange at the Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, in Spain, and worked with international students in legal research. My work in different areas of law has always been driven by a dedication to service.

During my tenure at CLINIC, I was able to support RIS professionals with administrative tasks connected with helping religious worker clients apply for immigration benefits. I was proud that my career experience and flexibility were helpful in multiple areas. In particular, I assisted with preparing cases and was instrumental in helping close cases at the end of 2018, a comprehensive end-of-year project. In addition, I helped attorneys and paralegals navigate information in Spanish, which offered insights into some culturally-specific practices that build strong connections with the international religious workers CLINIC serves.

I will always value the opportunity to contribute to a noble mission, rooted in faith and service. It was inspiring to witness the dedication and zest of RIS staff as they helped meet the legal immigration needs of Catholic Archdioceses, religious institutes and the foreign religious workers.

As a devout Catholic, I was proud to learn more and apply my knowledge of different religious orders within Catholicism. Also, this network has been fascinating to me, since I am from a country in which migration is a very sensitive topic and a daily issue due to the large number of Mexicans migrating to the United States. As I look to serve vulnerable immigrant communities from Central and South America that come into Mexico and the United States, I see how the experience at CLINIC has shaped my professional journey.

I have always sought to expand my legal knowledge regardless of borders since I consider law an essential aspect of a functioning global landscape — one that is necessary to maintain strong relationships between countries and organizations. I am thankful to the outstanding professionals at CLINIC, and RIS, in particular, for sharing their wisdom and welcoming mine.

* Ileana Cortes Santiago contributed to this article.

What type of work do you do at CLINIC?

I work as a paralegal in CLINIC’s Religious Immigration Services department.

Where did you work before joining CLINIC?

Before I joined CLINIC, I worked for a private law firm focused on immigration law. I was the direct legal assistant of the managing attorney. We represented people in removal proceedings and those detained at the border, in addition to asylum defense cases, affirmative asylum and family-based immigration.

How did you become interested in immigration?

I moved from Mexico to the United States 14 years ago. After overcoming the many challenges of learning a new culture, I realized how many immigrants like me were just trying to survive in a new country. I felt even more connected with the immigrant community after dealing with my own personal immigration issues and receiving my green card. In my first job as a legal assistant for an immigration law firm, I listened to clients’ stories and learned about their struggles back in their home countries and the complexities of their journeys coming to the United States. Through my work and life experiences, I became very passionate about helping people with their immigration issues.

What do you like most about working in religious immigration law?

I love the hard work, the professionalism and the knowledge my colleagues — paralegals and attorneys — provide to each case. Moreover, I am very grateful for this new opportunity, especially to my supervisor for all her guidance and support, since this is my first time working with religious immigration law.

What do you wish other people had told you before you took the role?

To be patient and take the learning curve one step at a time.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring paralegal working in the immigration field, what would it be?

Do not feel frustrated when it comes to learning and digesting information. Everything is a learning process, and it is so important to be patient with yourself.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?

When we see the positive results of our efforts and work. In addition, the calls and emails from our clients showing their appreciation for the work we do make me feel valued and reconfirm my commitment.

Dear friends,

On a warm September day in Montgomery, Alabama, I joined CLINIC colleagues as we traced the steps along the streets where African slaves were seized and later sold more than 200 years ago. Our trip to the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice was a stark reminder of the evil that surrounded us then and its legacy and parallels with the incarcerations and family separations of today. Nonetheless, the wisdom and experiences of the past shed light and offer hope in difficult times — in Alabama, a civil rights leader invited us to “calibrate our compass,” as we replenish our commitments, rest and re-focus to continue in the right path.

As 2019 comes to an end, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to you and all the international religious workers we feel so honored to have served this year. I cannot recall a busier or more complicated year for the RIS team than this past one. There were times when we felt confused, frustrated and even hopeless as we struggled to make sense of what is happening in immigration law. There are no easy answers or solutions, but despite all this, we have hope.

In this holiday season, we renew our commitment and promise to fight for the rights of all immigrants — in particular, our religious worker clients.

Thank you again for your continued support and may you have a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!

Miguel A. Naranjo