“For decades, the US government has been violating immigrants’ rights and it is crucial to be in the trenches watching, documenting, and RESISTING it all.”
These words from Letty Escobar, now entering her second year at CUNY Law, function as a rallying cry for a delegation of students moved to organize a trip to Dilley, Texas, to support the women and children being detained in the country’s largest immigrant detention center. “They were the ones to work with CUNY Law’s administration to make this trip a reality,” revealed Professor Talia Peleg, organizer of the school’s delegation to Dilley. Jo Lopez, 3L, added, “I came to Dilley to be a source of guidance, support, and much needed human kindness. I stand in solidarity with them, their journeys, and their reasons for coming to the United States.”
“It’s especially important when so many of these women and children have experienced trauma in their home countries, and then are faced with violent and racist immigration policies in the U.S.,” added Mirian Albert, 3L. Dennis Tejeda, 3L, shared on social media that he wanted “to be a friendly face that welcomes someone to the United States and empowers them to fight to the fullest extent of the law.”
At CUNY Law, we often talk about your calling as an advocate and career as an attorney starting on day one. That this delegation of students was able to offer counsel, support, and empathy to real clients facing serious legal issues and a plethora of obstacles speaks volumes about what it means to be a student at this Law School. “This experience has been so meaningful to me as a future immigration attorney,” remarked Jackie Mann, 3L. “I am so grateful for our team and the work that we have accomplished this week. Most of all, I’m grateful for the women and children at Dilley who have entrusted us with their stories.”
To practice law in the service of human needs often means facing what might feel like insurmountable odds, stemming floodtides, and always digging deeper to question how we might better pull systems of oppression and discrimination out by the root. This year’s Dilley Delegation has begun a powerful tradition to launch into each new school year in service of the greater good.