Annandale attorney helps desperate women attain asylum in the U.S.
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| Janet Smith’s law offices are in this building on Poplar Street, Annandale. |
When local immigrants want to stay in the United States to
escape forced marriages or brutal husbands, they often turn to Annandale
attorney Janet Smith.
escape forced marriages or brutal husbands, they often turn to Annandale
attorney Janet Smith.
Smith, a sponsor of the Taste of Annandale, will be available to meet with the public at the
community festival on Oct. 14.
community festival on Oct. 14.
Smith helps people who’ve exhausted all other resources. Most
of her cases involve people who’ve escaped brutal situation in other countries
and are seeking asylum in the United States
of her cases involve people who’ve escaped brutal situation in other countries
and are seeking asylum in the United States
Many of Smith’s clients are also dealing with poverty and
other problems. “We have to deal with the whole client, not just the
immigration case,” she says. “We do our best to guide them to get care for all
of their needs.”
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| Smith |
Now that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is
being phased out by the Trump Administration, Smith is trying to find another
remedy to help people with DACA status avoid deportation. Depending on the
reason they left their home county, they could be eligible for asylum or
temporary protective status or might have an employer willing to sponsor them,
she says.
If Congress doesn’t act, the government could start deporting people with DACA status as early as March. These people were brought here as
children; they had no choice. They have jobs, pay taxes, and are trying to be
productive members of the community, she says. “Now all of that is in jeopardy.”
children; they had no choice. They have jobs, pay taxes, and are trying to be
productive members of the community, she says. “Now all of that is in jeopardy.”
Many of them are from Honduras
and El Salvador, Smith says. “Those countries are
more dangerous than anything you can imagine.”
and El Salvador, Smith says. “Those countries are
more dangerous than anything you can imagine.”
DACA status is only available to people who have completed
their education or are in school and don’t have a criminal record. Many of them
are in their 20s now and were brought here when they were 5. “They don’t know
any country other than the U.S.,” she says.
their education or are in school and don’t have a criminal record. Many of them
are in their 20s now and were brought here when they were 5. “They don’t know
any country other than the U.S.,” she says.
Smith employs a paralegal from Peru who speaks Spanish and a
legal assistant who speaks Creole to Smith’s Haitian clients, most of whom are in
detention facilities and are fighting deportation.
legal assistant who speaks Creole to Smith’s Haitian clients, most of whom are in
detention facilities and are fighting deportation.
When Smith opened her law practice in 2011, she
started seeing clients trying to attain asylum. “The stories clients tell you are
horror stories; the kind of things you only hear about on TV. There are places
where people can’t walk out of their house safely,” she says.
started seeing clients trying to attain asylum. “The stories clients tell you are
horror stories; the kind of things you only hear about on TV. There are places
where people can’t walk out of their house safely,” she says.
One client she represented, a woman in her early 20s, had
been sold into marriage by her family to a man she didn’t love in the East
African country of Djibouti. He already had other wives and beat her two or
three times a week.
been sold into marriage by her family to a man she didn’t love in the East
African country of Djibouti. He already had other wives and beat her two or
three times a week.
She had been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM)
when she was younger, and her husband was unable to force himself on her so he
opened her with a knife and left her bleeding at home alone unable to move.
When a housekeeper found her the next day, she was taken to a hospital where
she spent a week.
when she was younger, and her husband was unable to force himself on her so he
opened her with a knife and left her bleeding at home alone unable to move.
When a housekeeper found her the next day, she was taken to a hospital where
she spent a week.
The woman somehow got a visa to the United States, where
Smith was able to get her asylum. She is now safe and living in Alexandria.
“FGM is a horrible thing for a woman to go through and what she went through
was much worse,” Smith says. “That’s the kind of thing that makes you stay in
immigration law.”
Smith was able to get her asylum. She is now safe and living in Alexandria.
“FGM is a horrible thing for a woman to go through and what she went through
was much worse,” Smith says. “That’s the kind of thing that makes you stay in
immigration law.”
Another client, who worked for the government in Djibouti,
was forced against her will to marry her boss, who was from a powerful family.
Her husband beat her constantly, and she was hospitalized several times. But she
couldn’t go to the police because her husband’s uncle was head of the armed
forces.
was forced against her will to marry her boss, who was from a powerful family.
Her husband beat her constantly, and she was hospitalized several times. But she
couldn’t go to the police because her husband’s uncle was head of the armed
forces.
Before her marriage, she had been in love with a man who
worked at the same agency. When her husband found out, the man was fired and
disappeared. No one ever saw him again, and Smith’s client believes her husband had him
murdered.
worked at the same agency. When her husband found out, the man was fired and
disappeared. No one ever saw him again, and Smith’s client believes her husband had him
murdered.
The woman escaped to Dubai but her husband found her and
threatened to kill her father unless she returned. When she got a visitor visa
to come to the United States, she applied for asylum and won the right to stay
here.
threatened to kill her father unless she returned. When she got a visitor visa
to come to the United States, she applied for asylum and won the right to stay
here.
Most of the FGM cases Smith sees are from Nigeria. In one
case, a woman who had been subject to FGM as a child was afraid her family was
going to force her daughter to go through the procedure. She took her daughter
and son to the United States where her case for asylum is still pending.
case, a woman who had been subject to FGM as a child was afraid her family was
going to force her daughter to go through the procedure. She took her daughter
and son to the United States where her case for asylum is still pending.
“It grabs your heart,” Smith says of the clients who come to
her desperate to stay in the United States. She decided to specialize in
immigration cases to “help people stay here and build a life for themselves and
their children.”