justneighbors

Mary Elizabeth started her time at Just Neighbors as a Legal Fellow in 2017 and recently became our newest Staff Attorney after getting barred. We sat down to ask her about her journey. Why did you choose to become an attorney? I wanted to help people after receiving my college degree, but I had yet […]

There seems to be no end to religious persecution on our planet. And this is exactly what brought Umida to the USA.  The situation in her homeland, Uzbekistan, was unbearable. She survived in a refugee camp for 6 months, and was finally able to leave, arriving in Northern Virginia in 2010. Her first visit with

Last week, at a Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church in St. Louis, MO, delegates passed the Traditional Plan, which tightened the rules restricting inclusion of the LGBTQI community.  We grieve with the LGBTQI community, feel the pain of a deeply divided global church, and acknowledge the hurt that this

“This means that you will represent us; we are not going to be alone in this?” The young man and his wife couldn’t believe that after everything they had been through to come to the U.S. and everything that they had tried to do to do to “fix” their papers that someone was actually going

Khalaf Daoud sought the help of Just Neighbors in the hopes of securing green cards for his family of six (his wife, twin girls, and three teenage children). Mr. Daoud had come to the United States seeking asylum and then was able to bring his family. As Coptic Christians, the family faced the threat of

Like so many immigrants to our country, ‘Jessica’ came to America when she was barely a year old.  She arrived with her family with a Visa for what was supposed to be a short visit with other family members. It was their first time in America, and they had no plans to stay.  But like

Nayara Gervasio has come to volunteer at Just Neighbors thanks to her international friendships.  Nayara grew up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil where our Executive Director, Erin McKenney has traveled on several mission trips through her church. Naya and Erin became friends and have stayed in touch through the years. Naya, who graduated with a Business

Just Neighbors attorneys, Dominique Poirier and Cristina Sproul, spent a week down at the Karnes Detention Facility in Karnes City, Texas at the end of October working with immigrant fathers and sons detained at the center. The trip was facilitated through a stipend received from CLINIC, and Dominique and Cristina volunteered as immigration attorneys, partnering

Human trafficking claims victims every day, and we have seen so many here at Just Neighbors. Recently, another trafficking survivor was referred to us for help. At nineteen, Mei was living with her impoverished family in China with no work opportunities for her to help them or herself.  Looking for a better way, she was

Victor came to the United States 13 years ago from Nicaragua. He was 19 when he left his home and everything he knew, hoping for a better life in United States. He was fleeing the violence in his village and reuniting with parents he hadn’t seen in 10 years. When Victor arrived, he lived with