Immigration Clinic Stops Deportation of Cambodian Refugee
The UC Davis School of Law Immigration Law Clinic successfully stopped the deportation of a Cambodian woman last month, freeing her after eight months of detention.
The case presented substantial challenges for Janet Kim '10 and Genevieve Roman '10, who worked on the client's behalf for months before winning her freedom. The client is illiterate, and has a traumatic past that includes a flight from war in her native Cambodia, six years living in a refugee camp in Thailand, a physically abusive domestic relationship, and the difficulties of caring for two children born with severe brain damage. The students had to work hard to gain her trust, said Professor Raha Jorjani, the supervising attorney on the case, and only after several counseling sessions and months of working together did the client open up enough to allow for the preparation of an adequate defense.
"The progress we made was a direct result of continued, ongoing, and persistent advocacy born out of the understanding that trauma manifests itself in multiple physical and psychological ways and that only patience and compassion could get us to where we needed to go," said Jorjani.
The client was facing permanent removal from the United States as a result of 14-year-old criminal conviction, though she had not been convicted of any crimes since. Kim and Roman convinced the Court on April 20 that justice required that she be released from detention and have a second opportunity to remain in the United States with her family.
"Far beyond just winning her case, Ms. Kim and Ms. Roman helped re-instill in their client a sense of hope and empowerment, where one had ceased to exist," said Professor Jorjani.
Professor Jorjani also credited the community organizations that supported the clinic's efforts, including Oakland's Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants. She thanked Donny Le '09, who met with the client several times and helped draft the first set of legal arguments in the case, Liza Thantranon '10, who volunteered to travel to the detention center several times to act as an interpreter, and Immigration Clinic staff members Teresa Medina and Martha Jaime.