Central West Justice Center, Pittsfield, MA
The Central West Justice Center (CWJC) is a civil legal aid organization that provides free legal services to low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts. During my summer internship. I worked in the immigration division of CWJC. The immigration lawyers at CWJC practice humanitarian-based immigration law, meaning that they help immigrants who have suffered trauma in their home countries or in the United States. This area of immigration law includes asylum cases; U-visas, which are visas for victims of serious crimes; Violence Against Women Act petitions, which provide legal permanent residency to the battered spouses of legal permanent residents or U.S. citizens; and various other forms of immigration relief. The work that I did over the summer mostly related to these three ways of obtaining legal status.
My main project for the summer was compiling four applications for U-visa adjustments. The four people whose applications I compiled received U-visas as derivatives of a family member’s underlying petition. A U-visa lasts for four years, and at the end of three years, one can apply for legal permanent residency. In order to do this, one must prove that they have lived continuously in the United States for three years. Most of my work on this project consisted of compiling evidence of continuous presence, which involved looking through and organizing documents the clients gave us. I also filled out all of the forms necessary for the application and met with the clients alongside my supervisor to go over the forms and have them sign them. This was an incredibly rewarding project, as I was able to follow it from start to almost finish, get to know the people I was helping, and learn about the U-visa adjustment process.
In addition to this primary project, I did a lot of interpreting and translating documents. Most of the time, these documents were evidence for cases, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, police reports, or ID cards. The rest of my time was spent on miscellaneous tasks. I filled out forms; compiled applications for asylum; made phone calls to courts, embassies, and government agencies; researched country conditions; etc.
The Central West Justice Center is an incredible organization full of people who are passionate about what they do. Most of the people who I interacted with in the organization are immigration lawyers. It is a very difficult time to be an immigration lawyer in the United States, as new laws and executive orders are rolled out every day that attack immigrants and their rights. Every week, the immigration lawyers of CWJC had a unit meeting over video conference, and at the end of every meeting, the unit supervisor asked for good news. The response was often underwhelming, but little victories were celebrated and a sense of camaraderie prevailed in the face of the challenges the lawyers faced.
The United States immigration system as it exists today is built against the people who inhabit it, and trying to obtain legal status is not something that any immigrant can do alone. The processes involve countless forms, always in English, and endless hoops to jump through. Immigration lawyers offer an understanding of the system, giving people advice and guiding them. They know the correct answers to the questions on forms. They know what a declaration needs to say. They know what kind of language will get a petition denied. Immigration lawyers have crucial knowledge and play an extraordinarily important role in today’s political landscape. Without people doing this kind of work, countless immigrants would be deported or continue to live in fear of deportation.
Through this internship, I was able to learn so much about the immigration system and strengthen my previously held political beliefs about immigration. I was also able to learn about immigration in local politics and gain a better understanding of the issues facing immigrants in my home state. I learned that Massachusetts residents are not able to obtain a driver’s license unless they have legal status, a barrier that negatively affects the lives of many immigrants in Western Massachusetts. As a Williams student, I know it is extremely difficult to transport yourself in the Berkshires if you are not able to drive. Many undocumented immigrants don’t have any other option when it comes to things like taking their kids to school and buying food. Many immigrants in Massachusetts are forced to drive against the law, something that constantly puts them in danger of running into trouble with the police, being reported to ICE, and being deported.
During my internship, I also learned that undocumented immigrants can face barriers in receiving government healthcare, which keeps many disabled immigrants from living full, healthy lives. Not all of the local knowledge I gained was negative, as I also got to know some amazing organizations working with immigrants in the Berkshires, such as the Elizabeth Freeman Center and the Berkshire Immigrant Center. Overall, this internship gave me a more well-rounded understanding of what life is like for immigrants in the Berkshires, what kinds of problems they face, and what kinds of organizations are working to help them.
This internship was a really fulfilling way for me to begin to work in the Berkshire community and learn more about its residents. It also strengthened my preexisting interest in law and public interest/immigration law in particular. During my time at CWJC, I was able to see just how dire the situation is for so many immigrants and watch incredible lawyers do powerful, impactful work to make a difference in people’s lives. Now that I have gotten to know people working in the Berkshire area, I hope I will be able to continue to connect with them to do more work in the future.
I am eternally grateful for this internship and am so excited to explore the doors it has opened for me. I had an amazing summer and have come out of it a more knowledgeable and passionate person. Thank you to the Kraft Family and the ’68 Center for Career Exploration who gave me this incredible opportunity.
Megamenu Social