While most students spent Spring Break vacationing or relaxing at home, ten UConn Law students traveled to York, Pennsylvania to help detained individuals seeking asylum. Professors Anna Cabot and Jon Bauer organized the group of law students, a social work student, and two UConn Alumni volunteer attorneys, who spent the week of March 14th assisting detainees at the York County Prison with their asylum applications.
According to Jane Kelleher ’16, students on the trip spent their time interviewing asylum applicants, assisting with completing I-589 asylum applications, drafting declaration forms for the court, and compiling documents that supported the applicants’ claims. CGA Law Firm in York, PA provided a conference room for the volunteers to work out of, which became home base for the group.
Students worked long hours and faced trying situations. Recounting her experience, Kelleher stated, “[i]t was very hard to hear our applicants’ extremely difficult stories of survival, and to know that they came here seeking respect for human rights—only to end up in detention.”
Despite these difficulties, the experience seemed to be eye-opening for most. Kelleher commented, “I was shocked by how few resources the detainees had in completing their applications and preparing for their hearings—especially in light of the huge risk they faced in their home countries if their applications failed.”
While York, PA was not particularly exciting, some students found the small town charm appealing. “There were great restaurants and the town had a great downtown area,” said Kelleher. Those on the trip seemed to have returned with a renewed sense of purpose and camaraderie with fellow participants. “I couldn’t recommend this trip enough, said Kelleher. “Not only did I have the chance to do very meaningful work, I had the chance to meet like-minded students and professors who are all amazing people. If I had the chance, I’d go in a heartbeat.”
Link to PDF of April Issue: https://uconnlawprosenews.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/pro-se-april-issue.pdf
