by Katie Patrick
One of the many blessings we have received at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska over the past year has been the expansion of several of our programs, including our Immigration Legal Services program in Lincoln.
For many years, this program operated as an informal extension of our long-standing refugee resettlement program, whereby staff assisted refugee clients with permanent residency applications. CSS also provided limited legal services to clients who needed assistance filing DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) or work authorization renewals, travel documents, etc.
We have been able to provide these crucial services to the community because since 1999, Catholic Social Services has been recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to practice immigration law. The DOJ runs a special program for nonprofits to acquire recognition in order to provide affordable and quality legal services to refugee and immigrant communities. Nonprofits across the country, like CSS, undergo a rigorous and complex application process to receive this recognition. Previously, we have only had one individual and for a time two or three, who had this accreditation, but did so with a number of other responsibilities. Now, for the first time in CSS history, we have four staff fully dedicated to the Immigration Legal Services Program.
Monica Suarez, an immigrant from Venezuela, joined Catholic Social Services during the summer of 2022. Monica was an attorney in Venezuela, where she assisted clients and businesses with estate contracts.
Sebit Deng, a former refugee from South Sudan, joined Catholic Social Services in the fall of 2021 as a member of our refugee team, and has recently transitioned to our immigration program. Sebit is a former interpreter and translator for the U.S. military and has served several tours in Iraq.
Ainoa de Anzola, a native of Spain, is a recent law school graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has been with Catholic Social Services since last fall.
Brad Brestel joined Catholic Social Services several months ago. While Brad has not practiced immigration law before, he comes with years of experience serving vulnerable communities in our city.
Together, this team has helped dozens of clients secure work authorization, permanent residency, asylum, citizenship, and much more.
Every client and every case is unique because each person has a different story of how they came to be in the United States, and what their lives were like before coming to the U.S.
For example, in the fall of 2021, CSS welcomed more than 100 Afghan humanitarian parolees to our community. Many of them served the U.S. military as interpreters, translators, or contractors. Some worked for the Afghan government, or as journalists, doctors and other professionals whose lives were at risk as the Taliban took control of their country. All these details work to complete the applications our team submits to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office on behalf of each of our clients.
However, perhaps the most important part of their work is how they interact with our clients. The immigration system is highly complex, and can be an intimidating experience for anyone in need of services, especially for those who struggle with English or who have had limited education. Monica, Sebit, Ainoa and Brad encounter our clients with kindness, patience, and compassion. It’s one of my most rewarding experiences as director to pass by our meeting rooms and see the fear and anxiety be lifted from our clients as they relax and put their trust in our staff who serve them so well.
Which brings me to my conclusion: we’re hiring! If you, or someone you know, would like to join our immigration team, please visit our website at www.csshope.org to learn more about the position. We’d love to hear from you! Thank you and may God bless you!
