My Citizenship Story – Carolina Lugo Edelman, RIS Paralegal
Growing up in your home country, did you ever imagine that you would end up making a life in the United States?
No, I never imagined that I would come to the United States. Although I always wanted to go to NYC and live in New York, that was like a dream. I am happy that I was able to experience it for almost nine years.
Did you want to become a U.S. Citizen when you came to the United States?
Who would not want to be? When I came to the United States for the first time, I promised myself that I would become a U.S. citizen of this great nation one day. After obtaining my legal residence, I felt one step closer, and that felt so good. Finally, the time to apply for my citizenship arrived, and my husband and I did not hesitate to file my application right away.
There are so many rights and benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen, but honestly, one of the most important reasons was not to get deported. I wanted to have the opportunity of enjoying the rights of a natural-born American citizen. When I was a legal permanent resident, I always thought that I would be an outstanding abiding American citizen because I respect and love this nation. Also, better opportunities come along with becoming an American citizen. I wanted to be able to vote; I wanted to enforce my civil rights and my voice to be heard. I wanted to be able to find a job that could allow me to help other immigrants like me.
How did you feel the day that you took the U.S. Oath?
I had a great experience at my interview, and thankfully, I passed my test and was invited to take the oath on the same day, which was an amazing opportunity. I had dreamed about this moment for about 16 years, and finally, my dream came true. The bitter part about this was that due to COVID, I could not invite anyone to attend the ceremony, which is really sad because my husband has been an important part of my immigration journey, and I wanted him to experience this moment with me. We both understood, and he waited so happily for me outside. My family in Mexico is very proud of me, and now I can go and visit them more often.
Taking oath was a big relief. It was one of the most amazing achievements in my life and one of the most satisfying experiences. I am so grateful to be an American citizen.
Now that you are a citizen, what is something you look forward to doing? (i.e. vote, travel, passport, etc).
I was able to become a U.S. Citizen before the presidential election. It was my first experience participating in such an important and exciting event in the United States. I also visited my parents in Mexico this year using my "U.S. Passport," and I was not scared of going through immigration for the first time.
Did you have any misgivings about become a citizen? If so, how did you get pass it?
No, not at all. Not misgivings, but I know more responsibilities come with citizenship, and I am glad to comply with them when required.
Also, in some cases, you have to renounce your home country's citizenship, thankfully, it was not my case. As a Mexican, I can have dual citizenship. That is a great advantage for me.
What do you think you would do to honor your heritage (country of origin) and your new country of citizenship?
I will continue celebrating Mexico's customs and traditions and share with others my Mexican heritage. I want people in the United States to learn more about Mexican people and how rich Mexico is in culture, food, nature, etc. If I ever have kids, I will encourage them to learn Spanish.
For the United States, I will respect this great country that has allowed me to grow and fulfill my American dream. I will continue introducing my new home to my family back in Mexico to see and experience why I fell in love with this country.
Introducing RIS Attorney: Mikhayla Stover
Since the original publication of this blog, Stover passed the bar and transitioned to a staff attorney role in CLINIC's Religious Immigration Services section.
What type of work do you do at CLINIC?
Right now, I’m a law clerk for Religious Immigration Services, or RIS. This means I help the section’s attorneys with case prep, legal research and other tasks! I recently graduated from law school, and hopefully this fall, I will receive confirmation of a successful bar score, receive my law license and transition to a staff attorney. (Please pray for me!)
Where did you work/what were you doing before joining CLINIC?
Before joining CLINIC, I was a full-time law student at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law here in D.C. I graduated in May and joined CLINIC in September.
How did you become interested in immigration?
In April 2018, while attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and about a month before I graduated with my B.A., there was a very large immigration raid in a nearby town called Morrisville, Tenn. The raid caused a lot of strife. The local Catholic church — St. Patrick’s — really stepped up to support the immigrant community following the raid. Within hours, they opened their doors for families and began massing volunteers and connecting those affected with lawyers. Not just the fallout of that raid, but the incredible example of Catholic virtue and service I saw at St. Patrick’s inspired me to go into the immigration field. I’ve been doing this type of work ever since.
What do you like most about working in religious immigration law?
It’s very meaningful to me to be able to help religious workers come to the United States. I especially love that I get to help so many priests and religious workers. As a Catholic myself, I love knowing that I played even a tiny part in the Church’s work spreading the Gospel in the United States.
What do you wish other people had told you before you took the role?
How much fun it is, actually! I think sometimes, doing legal work, especially in the immigration field and especially as a clerk, a lot of people in the field describe it as hard or draining work, but I have really enjoyed it. There’s something I just find very intrinsically satisfying about it.
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring law clerk working in the immigration field, what would it be?
I think I would tell somebody aspiring to be a law clerk to develop the skill of being able to be gracious — with your colleagues and clients, but also with yourself. At the end of the day, everybody including you is trying their best. And when mistakes happen, or you feel stressed by something, the best thing to do is to be gracious and accept that it happened and then work towards fixing the mistake or easing the stress!
What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
I think the most fulfilling part for me is being able to help others in a very real, practical way. So often, especially with immigration, we hear of these problems or these stories where people struggle, and it’s frustrating to not be able to do anything about it. So, it feels nice to be able to use my skills and talents to relieve people of the burden of sorting through our massively complex immigration system. Together, we can make sure they are able to come to the United States and continue their ministry.
Immigration Specialist
Position Summary:
Provides direct immigration assistance to persons/families needing immigration legal assistance within the scope of Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services (CC-ILS). This position provides legal representation to persons. The services include, among others, the following: (a) giving general consultation both on a collective and individual basis, (b) completing and filing forms with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) on behalf of clients, (c) representing clients before the Department of Homeland Security United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), (d) networking with other community-based legal service providers in the area of advocacy efforts and policy changes.
Essential Job Functions:
Responsibility
Immigration legal assistance
- Conduct legal consultations to determine if clients are eligible for federal immigration benefits.
- Complete appropriate immigration applications for clients.
- Conduct legal research to ensure compliance with immigration laws and regulations.
- Manage naturalization workshop registrations, preparation of files and planning of quarterly workshops.
- Represent clients before the Department of Homeland Security after applying for and receiving Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation from the Office of Legal Access Program (OLAP).
- Conduct on-site consultations at partner sites.
- Maintain all case records and documentation mandated by Catholic Charities and CC-ILS policies and procedures.
- Make appropriate referrals as necessary for immigration legal services beyond the scope of the program’s or one’s own competencies, and for other social service needs.
Community outreach
- Actively participate or present relevant immigration information to the immigrant and nonimmigrant communities periodically as needed.
- Assist in public relations efforts which increase the visibility of CC-ILS, publicize immigration issues faced by immigrants and raise community awareness on immigration issues.
Quality Improvement
- Participate in monthly round table discussion of immigration files as well as weekly meetings with Director, ILS.
- Conduct weekly gold sheet review on peers’ files before documentation is mailed to USCIS.
- Conduct open and closed case file reviews as mandated by Council on Accreditation.
- Collect data for United Way and other funding sources.
Performs other related duties as assigned by management.
*Reliable attendance is an on-going essential job function.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Must be bilingual in English and Spanish.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Understanding of, and sensitivity to, people of low-income and multi-cultural backgrounds.
- Ability to work with and be sensitive to non-English speakers.
- Must be able to work with victims of domestic violence and be sensitive to their needs and situation.
- Ability to function as an active, collaborative, team member, sometimes across agency lines.
- Ability to translate between English and Spanish and vice versa, fluently and accurately.
- Knowledge of the U.S. immigration system desirable.
- Ability to read, analyze and apply legal material to clients’ cases.
- Ability to interview clients, listening for information and following up with additional, appropriate questions.
- Ability to present information effectively to an adult group in a public education forum.
- Knowledge and ability to access the internet and research legal information.
- Ability to be detail oriented and manage a large caseload.
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects and ensure all deadlines are met.
- Ability to be organized and delegate tasks to other members of the team to complete.
- Computer proficiency including MS Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook.
- Ability to qualify for Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation.
Required of All Positions:
- Knowledge and support of Catholic Charities’ purpose, mission, vision, values, and ethical standards.
- Knowledge and support of the Catholic Charities Compliance Program requirements including – but not limited to – the Code of Ethics, the Compliance Policy, and all relevant compliance procedures.
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics
Work Experience:
- Work experience in legal research and writing preferred (1-3 years).
- Work experience in the immigration legal field, other legal field or social service preferred (1-3 years).
- Experience working one-on-one, with people dealing with very personal information requiring confidentiality preferred (1-3 years).
Education Level:
- High School Diploma or Equivalent
- 4-Year College Degree or prior work experience in the legal field (1-3 years) required
Licensure, Certifications, and other Designations:
- Partial Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation within six months of hire.
- Valid Nebraska Driver’s License and Insurability.
- CPR & First Aid Certification.
Working Conditions:
- Working conditions are typical of an office environment. In-state travel is required on a weekly basis. In-state and out of state travel for training is required to maintain Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation.
- Occasional night and weekend outreach presentations/consultations and naturalization workshops are required.
The statements within this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed by an employee, and are not to be interpreted as an exhaustive list of responsibilities or required skills. Additionally, this job description does not establish a contract for employment and is subject to change at the discretion of the employer.
Closing Date
Employment Type
Employment Level
Hours
Reports To
Position
Organization
Job Location
Omaha, NE
United States
Immigration Assistant
Position Summary:
Provides direct immigration assistance to persons/families needing immigration legal assistance within the scope of Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services (CC-ILS). This position provides legal representation to persons. The services include, among others, the following: (a) giving general consultation both on a collective and individual basis, (b) completing and filing forms with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) on behalf of clients, (c) representing clients before the Department of Homeland Security United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), (d) networking with other community-based legal service providers in the area of advocacy efforts and policy changes.
Essential Job Functions:
Responsibility
Immigration legal assistance
- Conduct legal consultations to determine if clients are eligible for federal immigration benefits.
- Complete appropriate immigration applications for clients.
- Conduct legal research to ensure compliance with immigration laws and regulations.
- Manage naturalization workshop registrations, preparation of files and planning of quarterly workshops.
- Represent clients before the Department of Homeland Security after applying for and receiving Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation from the Office of Legal Access Program (OLAP).
- Conduct on-site consultations at partner sites.
- Maintain all case records and documentation mandated by Catholic Charities and CC-ILS policies and procedures.
- Make appropriate referrals as necessary for immigration legal services beyond the scope of the program’s or one’s own competencies, and for other social service needs.
Community outreach
- Actively participate or present relevant immigration information to the immigrant and nonimmigrant communities periodically as needed.
- Assist in public relations efforts which increase the visibility of CC-ILS, publicize immigration issues faced by immigrants and raise community awareness on immigration issues.
Quality Improvement
- Participate in monthly round table discussion of immigration files as well as weekly meetings with Director, ILS.
- Conduct weekly gold sheet review on peers’ files before documentation is mailed to USCIS.
- Conduct open and closed case file reviews as mandated by Council on Accreditation.
- Collect data for United Way and other funding sources.
Performs other related duties as assigned by management.
*Reliable attendance is an on-going essential job function.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Must be bilingual in English and Spanish.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Understanding of, and sensitivity to, people of low-income and multi-cultural backgrounds.
- Ability to work with and be sensitive to non-English speakers.
- Must be able to work with victims of domestic violence and be sensitive to their needs and situation.
- Ability to function as an active, collaborative, team member, sometimes across agency lines.
- Ability to translate between English and Spanish and vice versa, fluently and accurately.
- Knowledge of the U.S. immigration system desirable.
- Ability to read, analyze and apply legal material to clients’ cases.
- Ability to interview clients, listening for information and following up with additional, appropriate questions.
- Ability to present information effectively to an adult group in a public education forum.
- Knowledge and ability to access the internet and research legal information.
- Ability to be detail oriented and manage a large caseload.
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects and ensure all deadlines are met.
- Ability to be organized and delegate tasks to other members of the team to complete.
- Computer proficiency including MS Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook.
- Ability to qualify for Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation.
Required of All Positions:
- Knowledge and support of Catholic Charities’ purpose, mission, vision, values, and ethical standards.
- Knowledge and support of the Catholic Charities Compliance Program requirements including – but not limited to – the Code of Ethics, the Compliance Policy, and all relevant compliance procedures.
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics
Work Experience:
- Work experience in legal research and writing preferred (1-3 years).
- Work experience in the immigration legal field, other legal field or social service preferred (1-3 years).
- Experience working one-on-one, with people dealing with very personal information requiring confidentiality preferred (1-3 years).
Education Level:
- High School Diploma or Equivalent
- 4-Year College Degree or prior work experience in the legal field (1-3 years) required
Licensure, Certifications, and other Designations:
- Partial Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation within six months of hire.
- Valid Nebraska Driver’s License and Insurability.
- CPR & First Aid Certification.
Working Conditions:
- Working conditions are typical of an office environment. In-state travel is required on a weekly basis. In-state and out of state travel for training is required to maintain Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation.
- Occasional night and weekend outreach presentations/consultations and naturalization workshops are required.
The statements within this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed by an employee, and are not to be interpreted as an exhaustive list of responsibilities or required skills. Additionally, this job description does not establish a contract for employment and is subject to change at the discretion of the employer.
Closing Date
Employment Type
Employment Level
Hours
Reports To
Position
Organization
Job Location
Omaha, NE
United States
Immigration Attorney
This individual would be responsible for providing legal immigration representation to Catholic Charities Worcester county community members and provide information, referral and advocacy services to families and individuals in accordance with established policies and procedures, oversee program outreach, development and administration, supervise staff and provide legal services to community members of Catholic Charities Worcester county.
Requirements include Juris Doctorate degree and 3+ years practicing immigration law, experience in drafting affidavits pertaining to family-based cases and hardship waivers; experience with bond hearings and removal defense cases strongly preferred, knowledge of community resources, particularly in the immigration field, experience working with immigrant community issues and/or socioeconomic and racial justice issues, experience communicating with clients and government agencies, such as USCIS, ICE, CBP, NVC, and EOIR related to immigration matters, and proficiency using Microsoft and Google suites; prior experience with LawLogix or similar software is a plus. Also required are a valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle and proof of insurance, and bar membership.
Catholic Charities Worcester County is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to Carol LaFalam, Director of Human Resources, 10 Hammond Street, Worcester, MA 01610, scan to clafalam@ccworc.org, or visit our website at www.ccworc.org and apply on line.
Closing Date
Employment Type
Employment Level
Hours
Position
Organization
Job Location
Worcester, MA
United States
Bilingual Senior Attorney - Unaccompanied Children's Services
About our Catholic Charities Family
We seek compassionate, talented individuals with a heart for helping others and making a positive impact on the lives of men, women, and children across our large region. People of faith helping people in need achieve self-sufficiency and live with dignity.
Join our team at St. Frances Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance is the legal services arm of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. It is one of the largest non-profit immigration legal services programs in the region. We provide free to low-cost immigration legal assistance to immigrants and refugees in Southeast Texas.
As a Senior Attorney, you are a member of the supervisory team and will help set strategic priority, formulate policies and procedures for the whole program. You will be responsible for supervising a legal team in the provision of immigration legal services to clients served by St. Frances Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance. Legal services include community outreach and legal education, legal workshops, legal intake, legal research and individual legal representation. You would be expected to have expertise in immigration law and stay up-to-date on immigration law and policies and to provide supervision, guidance and mentorship to attorneys, pro bono counsels, paralegals and/or law student interns. You will identify issues for impact advocacy and litigation to be undertaken by Cabrini Center and/or other partners to advance immigrant rights and to make systemic changes.
The Expertise We’re Looking For
You have a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school
The Skills and Assets You Bring, and More
- As a successful candidate you will be detail-oriented and organized, with excellent time management and collaboration skills
- 2-4 years of experience as a practicing attorney
- Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and is in good standing
- Minimum 2-3 years of experience practicing immigration law before the USCIS and the EOIR
- Minimum 2 years of experience supervising a team of lawyers and paralegals
- Excellent legal research and writing skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation skills
- Fluency in Spanish and English, including speaking, writing and reading is required
- Ability to handle a high-volume caseload, multiple deadlines, and other tasks simultaneously
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Experience working with immigrant community an asset D
- emonstrated multi-cultural understanding and experience
The Value You Deliver
You join Catholic Charities and help people in southeast Texas by providing caring, compassionate services and advocating for social justice in collaboration with parishes and communities.
What you Deliver
- Direct Representation: Provide direct representation to immigrant clients before the USCIS, Asylum Office or Immigration Court as well as state courts on a range of immigration matters, including affirmative asylum and removal defense. Direct representation encompasses the following tasks: conduct legal intake and screening; interview clients, affiants, witness, experts, case managers, and others who can provide information or statement in furtherance of the principal client’s immigration matters; draft, prepare and assemble relevant immigration petitions; conduct legal research; write memoranda of law, motions or briefs in support of applications and petitions filed before USCIS, Asylum office, State, Immigration and Federal Courts, board of Immigration Appeals, Administrative Appeals Office, EOIR and other immigration agencies; prepare client for interviews and court hearings.
- Case Management: Maintain client physical and electronic files according to program requirements, including case notes, correspondence, filings, calendars, and dockets. Maintain a case status list and case service statistics for Cabrini Center and program funders. Participate in case reviews with attorney staff and support staff, and/or Managing Attorney/Legal Director, as applicable. Maintain a minimum of 30-40 active cases.
- Meetings: Attendance and participation in mandatory unit and Cabrini staff meetings, and other agency meetings. Participate on calls and meetings organized by funders, city-wide advocacy groups, local service providers and national support centers when appropriate and helpful.
- Contract and Agency Compliance: Comply with all contract requirements. Provide data and statistical information for grant, contract and other reporting purposes. Provide accurate and timely monthly data, time logs, and reports for internal use, funder use, and other entity use. Participate in trainings, meetings, calls, etc. as required by funders or to serve program needs.
- Outreaches: Participate in charlas by presenting and performing legal consultations. Participate in program and agency community legal education and outreach efforts, particularly as they relate to issues of immigration law, providing direct information to prospective clients, attending information sessions on asylum, deportation and other immigration relief, and conduct legal workshops and engage pro bono counsel in the provision of legal services.
- Personnel: Provide day-to-day supervision to the legal team comprising staff attorneys, legal fellows, pro bono counsel, paralegal/legal assistants, administrative clerks and interns. Provide periodic evaluation of staff performance.
- Substantive Expertise: Develop expertise in general immigration law, including but not limited to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, asylum, U visa, T visa, adjustment of status and other immigration relief available to Unaccompanied Minors, as well as naturalization, family immigration, DACA and Temporary Protected Status.
- Advocacy: Identify policy issues and coordinate with other units within Cabrini Center and the immigration bar in advancing advocacy agenda to promote immigrant rights.
- Meeting Community Needs: Work with Cabrini leadership to evaluate program efficacy and engage in priority setting in line with community needs.
- Program Administration: Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that Cabrini Center provides high quality legal services to clients, and provide periodic training to Cabrini staff to maintain quality and standard of service.
- Shelter Team: Oversee the staffing and operation of the assigned shelter team, to provide back-up support to facilitate detained children work as necessary; conduct regular team meeting to organize shelter schedule, allocate staffing resources and manage stakeholder relationships. And, perform other duties as assigned.
How Your Work Impacts our Organization
The work you do will help us advocate for the vulnerable among us, a network of support services to people of all ages and from all walks of life and religious backgrounds.
Click here to apply
Closing Date
Employment Type
Employment Level
Hours
Position
Organization
Job Location
Bilingual Senior Attorney - Unaccompanied Children's Services
San Felipe - Houston, TX
United States
