Alina comes from a culture where arranged marriages are common, and her family had arranged such a marriage for her. She was excited to come to the United States, get married and start a new life with her husband and his family. She met her husband for the first time on their wedding day. Unbeknownst […]
Arranged Marriage: Hope, Despair, and Now Hope Again Read More »
By: Jeanne Barnes The views and opinions expressed in this reflection are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Just Neighbors. Write what you see; this is often the instruction given to writers. I am basically an optimistic person, so I want to write what I saw
What I Saw: A Volunteer’s Experience at the US/Mexican Border Read More »
Victoria is a single Mom with 3 children now living and working here in Northern Virginia. But her story begins in El Salvador. Her Mom had emigrated to the USA when she was a child, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents. Then at an early age, she was a single Mom with a
On April 29, 2019, a Presidential Memorandum (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-memorandum-additional-measures-enhance-border-security-restore-integrity-immigration-system/) ordered the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to propose regulations imposing significant barriers for asylum-seekers in search of protection in the United States. While the Memorandum addresses additional issues, some of which contradict each other, we want to highlight that the government intends to charge
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
An Interview with Mary Elizabeth Maffei, Just Neighbors’ Newest Staff Attorney Read More »
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
I love Just Neighbors Read More »
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
Statement on United Methodist Church 2019 Special Session of the General Conference Read More »
“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
Dreams Come True for Neighbors on the Eastern Shore Read More »
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
It Takes a Village! From Asylees to Green Card Holders Read More »
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
DACA Works! Just Neighbors Delivers! Read More »