Highlighting our Impact: Partnership with CLINIC
"We have been able to provide full translation packets to several asylum seekers since last December thanks to Respond. Recently, they have been key in cases where we needed indigenous language interpreters. It was the first time that we actually got to provide two legal consultations with K’iche’ interpreters.”
Andrés Flores
CLINIC
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your story?
I was born and raised in Ciudad Juarez. I finished my psychology bachelor’s degree in 2018 and soon after I started working in CAIM, a state government project that supported mexican deportees and migrants under MPP (Migrant Protection Protocols). During that time, I learned about the crisis that migrants are going through at the border and I was utterly humbled by the situation. One year later, I started to work with Estamos Unidos - Asylum Project as a volunteer coordinator for migrants under MPP. This experience never ceases to overwhelm me both in good and bad ways. I must say I feel very proud to be part of this action, supporting some of the most vulnerable populations.
Can you tell us about Estamos Unidos / CLINIC, its mission, and your team? What is your role and what is your day to day like?
Estamos Unidos is a CLINIC’s asylum project based in Ciudad Juarez. It started as a response to the Migrant Protection Protocols program that puts asylum seekers at a major disadvantage by making them wait for their asylum hearings in Mexico. Our mission is to promote and protect human dignity through our free and reliable legal assistance to asylum seekers in the middle of this human rights crisis.
Estamos Unidos is formed by Tania Guerrero, our immigration attorney, Luis Guerra, our strategic capacity officer and myself, the volunteer coordinator. My role is to coordinate between our staff attorney and potential clients to schedule legal consultations, preparing their packets for their asylum hearings, and connecting with our awesome volunteer network that supports us mostly with translations and data entry, among other things.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our day to day consisted of visiting several shelters in Juarez and the three international bridges in the city, reaching migrants who needed resources about asylum in the United States, and providing Know Your Rights workshops, legal consultations, translations, and even full legal representation for some of our clients.
It’s been six months since we started operating remotely due to the pandemic. We made a Whatsapp group where we inform the community about the most recent and important updates about MPP, and it also works as a point of contact for potential legal consultations and to keep in touch with the community. We are still adapting to the current circumstances of the pandemic, and even though we are still providing the same services, it has been quite a challenge to reach those without the resources to afford a smartphone.
In what ways has the collaboration with Respond Crisis Translation helped your work or allowed you to do new things that you couldn’t have done before?
Our collaboration with Respond Crisis Translation has been a great experience. We have been able to provide full translation packets to several asylum seekers since December of last year thanks to their volunteers and collaborators. I am always surprised by Respond’s rapid response every time we have needed their support. Recently, they have been key in cases where we needed indigenous language interpreters. It was the first time that we actually got to provide two legal consultations with K’iche’ interpreters.
Is there a specific success story (or stories) that stands out for you?
It’s hard to look back and find success stories since MPP has been horrible for most asylum seekers. However, being able to get some of our clients out of that protocol has been a huge step, and the fact that one of our clients has been able to get asylum is the most inspiring and captivating success story that comes to mind, especially because the accompaniment that we kept on the case and how we were so close to this client. One of the most satisfactory things is watching our clients’ reactions when one tells them that their documents are ready, many have told me how they feel supported by this network, how knowing that many people are taking action and advocating for the cause actually gives them motivation to continue with their process.
What are the greatest challenges inherent in your work? Can you share the language-specific challenges and context that come up frequently?
Connecting with possible clients on the ground has been one of our major challenges during this time. Pre-COVID outreach to the migrant population was our day to day work, now we have to stay in touch with our clients through phone, checking in, asking about their living situation. When it comes to language access, Guatemalan indigenous languages are our biggest challenge, as indigenous language speakers are a population that has an important presence at the border, and the languages they speak are quite diverse. We have encountered persons who speak K’iche’, Mam, Q’eqchi’, Ixil, Chuj, and several other indigenous languages. This is an obstacle when we want to provide our services to them since interpreters for those are hard to find.
Anything else you’d like to add about the importance of language access to your work, or just anything else you´d like to share about yourself / your work in general?
Language access is a frequent need for our mission, especially when we encounter and support migrants from all over America and the world, and it is fundamental for us to understand them properly in order to assist them. I believe language access is a factor that can prevent people from making informed decisions, helping them to fully understand their legal situation. We are living through historical times in terms of asylum, people are enduring severe circumstances due to MPP, and the needs are extensive and complex. I believe collaboration and support are important to this cause, and we must keep fighting for justice for our friends stranded at the border.
Help us make essential language access support possible for all in need →
Since September 2019, Respond Crisis Translation has fought to provide interpretation and translation services for anyone experiencing language barriers.
