Being an RSCJ lawyer: the ministry I do and why I do it

For nearly two decades, I have been an attorney working primarily with immigrants: people who overstayed their visas, people who came to the U.S. without papers, people who have fled to this country out of fear of persecution, undocumented women who have abused and are at the end of their rope. Over the years, I have worked with people from many different countries, among them Cambodia, Guatemala, Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Russia, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Colombia---to name a few.. Most are poor; most live in fear; most have dreams. Some are as young as 4 and as old as 78. Right now, I am preparing a 74 year old widow for an asylum trial. Relatives slipped her out of the Congo after government troops attacked and killed her husband, raped her two daughters repeatedly, and beat her so badly that she still limps today. Her lined face shows struggle and fear, but her worn eyes show something other: a hope, possibly a dream. She faces deportation from the United States unless she is granted asylum by the immigration judge.

There are days when all my legal skills as an immigration attorney at Catholic Charities in San Diego mean little and my faith in God and my client mean everything. Then, there are days when my legal skills have some significance. On all days, if I did not know that God was walking with me, I would be simply undone and unable to be a bearer of anything, least of all, hope. Deep within me is a passion to assist the person before me to have a chance at life, to grow in hope, and to nurture a dream. This gift of God, I hold with reverence.

For me, our American system with the undocumented is very hard these days and it reflects poorly on our heritage as a nation of immigrants. That reality makes me sad and many Americans sad. Arrogance and fear do not become us nor do they make for peace. The toughness of our immigration system makes me advocate as strongly and imaginatively as I can before immigration judges, immigration examiners, immigration police and the jailers, all of whom are ?just doing their job?. For me, it is a real challenge at times to stand there before these figures of control and power; often I think it is a David and Goliath scene where using the sling shot at the right moment is key. Sometimes I fail; sometimes I make a difference. I go home tired most days, but happy and grateful for our RSCJ heritage of education, internationality, and communion. For the sake of one child, Sophie said that she would have founded the Society. My translation reads: For the sake of one teenager involved in sexual trafficking, one undocumented mother suffering domestic violence, one asylum seeker, I will use my legal skills to defend and to kindle the spark of hope lying deep in their hearts.

"This is a great site for the history of migrant workers. It would be a good link to have on our website: http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/migrants.html"