A small crew of UUCPA organizers, donors helped our Honduran immigrant friend get to the LA Courthouse and through the 6+ hour process to officially submit asylum papers and transfer the case to the SF Court, making future appointments much easier. At the last minute, on Monday late afternoon, we were advised it was too risky to fly, so driving or taking the train/bus were the only options. Within minutes, one of our UUCPAers stepped up to drive a rental car down on Tuesday, bringing a family member along for company.
They arrived at Court early the next morning for the 8:30 a.m. appointment. Although we had been told it would be a quick process, there was still no word by 3 p.m. Finally, around 3:30 p.m., we got the call—phones aren’t allowed inside—that everything went well. Our friend was courageous, going before the Judge all alone with only an online interpreter, not even in the courtroom. The Judge prioritized those with lawyers, so they had to wait until the afternoon for their turn.
When they walked out, the update was: “Done with hearing, asylum paperwork filed and certified!” They also successfully filed to have the case transferred to SF, which has already been granted.
Cheers to this amazing team! There is still more ahead in the process, but this was a wonderful first step.