Just before the close of the U.S. fiscal year, members of Global Refuge’s immigration legal services team traveled to Fargo, North Dakota to provide immigration legal services to a community with growing needs. Many immigrants and refugees there are contributing to the region’s vitality, yet face daunting barriers in navigating the immigration system.
This trip was possible thanks to the generosity of a local community member whose faith inspired their support. Their gift embodies the teaching of Matthew 25: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”
In Fargo, we met clients who have been affected by the rapidly changing policy environment, and others who had been misled by predatory “notarios” — scammers who often pose as experts on immigration to provide unauthorized immigration legal services. These scammers, and even well-meaning people trying to help with immigration applications, can do tremendous harm. Filling out forms incorrectly and with the wrong information can result in an immigrant losing their immigration benefits and facing removal proceedings.
Much of our work during the clinic in Fargo involved educating clients about the dangers of working with unlicensed providers, trying to find information about what benefits applications had been filed on their behalf (or not), and trying to determine the status of those applications and next steps. Unfortunately, one of the clinic clients learned during our consultation that she had just paid $100 for a resource that was free and available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. Another clinic client was devastated to hear from USCIS that the asylum application she believed was filed months prior was not filed at all, potentially missing a critical filing deadline.
One client from Haiti shared, “If I am sent back, I am afraid I will be persecuted because of my sexual orientation. I cannot live safely there.” Their story, and many others, underscore that immigration work is not just paperwork, it is about protecting human dignity and, in many cases, saving lives. Because she lost the work authorization she had lawfully been granted by the previous administration, then misled by another provider who was supposed to help her with a long-term status, we agreed to take her case pro bono. We are very grateful to the generous donor who made it possible to provide those vital legal services and to show we care.
As people of faith, we are called to serve with compassion and justice, no matter the geography. Our time in Fargo reminded us of the urgency of Matthew 25: to welcome the stranger, serve the vulnerable, and see the face of Christ in all whom we encounter.
We left Fargo humbled by the resilience of the immigrant community and grateful for the chance to walk alongside them.
Learn more about Immigration Legal Services and support the program.
