After a 10-year pro bono battle, an LPHS team has secured asylum for a Venezuelan national in a case that the immigration judge called a “very straightforward case” of persecution. LPHS partner Andrés Correa and a team that included Chelsea A. Till and Shirley Xu represented a man who was a grassroots organizer and rising star for Voluntad Popular, an opposition party in Venezuela. He organized soccer tournaments, children’s puppet shows, and all manner of community events to attract people to the cause, ultimately gaining more than 10,000 followers on social media. 

According to evidence the team submitted for the hearing, his activities led to a beating in front of his home, vandalism and attacks on his car while driving, threatening phone calls, rocks thrown through his front window, and his horse was killed. He fled to the U.S., and in 2016 LPHS prepared and submitted his application for asylum. Ultimately the asylum motion was not granted, and his case was referred for a deportation proceeding.

“The judge found the evidence and our client to be credible, and he found our expert so useful that he directly questioned him to learn more about the Venezuela situation,” says Andres. “This was truly a life-changing outcome for our client, who now has the chance to continue to build a life here. If necessary we’ll continue to fight to see that he has that chance.”