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Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy immigration attorney Rebekah Niblock arranges immigration paperwork during the center's first asylum clinic.
The filing deadline for those cases is April 22. Niblock says that’s part of why CCLA chose to host the clinic on March 26.
“Overall goal is to, of course, be able to expand our legal services,” Niblock said. “Although we're not representing the clinic participants, we're still helping them meet this crucial deadline for asylum seekers and protect their rights as asylum seekers.”
In addition to getting a legal screening and a presentation on their rights, clinic participants were also given a list of immigration attorneys.
Immigration law is complex, therefore legal representation for these types of cases is crucial, says Niblock.
But according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, North Carolina ranks last in the U.S. for legal representation. Out of the more than 34,000 pending immigration cases, only 8,000 have an attorney representing them.
The cost of legal representation is often a barrier for immigrants.
To add to this, the Charlotte Immigration Court is one of the toughest in the nation. In the last three years, more than 85% of asylum cases have been denied
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