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Clinic at Columbia Law School and Kim's former professor. "Women and children are expected to
defend themselves in court with a judge present, and their opponent is a trained lawyer from the
Department of Homeland Security."
"All of the odds are stacked against these kids and against these women in these immigration
proceedings," she said.
Cruz said they've organized about 30 volunteers, many of whom are her law school classmates. They
send out a list of things that need to be done -- translating interviews, preparing affidavits and
drafting briefs -- and people pick up the different tasks. Yale's Gruber Program for Global Justice and
Womens Rights is covering the costs, such as printing and making phone calls abroad.
Working at an internship during the day and contributing to the project on nights and weekends,
Cruz puts in around 20 hours a week in her spare time, she said. Her background in one of the
things that motivates her: Cruz's mother was a Cuban refugee and her father is from Guatemala, one
of the countries women and children are fleeing.
"I have a lot of personal investment," she said.
The same is true for Aminta Menjivar, 24, who moved to the U.S. from El Salvador when she was 10.
Menjivar is undocumented, but is allowed to work and remain in the U.S. under the Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals program. Her immigration lawyer is Laura Lichter, a past president of the
American Immigration Lawyers Association who has done extensive pro bono work at family
detention facilities. When Menjivar told Lichter she wanted to find a way to help others, the attorney
told her about the CARA project.
Menjivar went to Dilley twice this summer to help prepare women for credible fear interviews,where
immigration authorities determine whether they can move forward in seeking asylum or other
relief.She isn't a lawyer, but was able to do intake and talk to the women, and she's planning to do
more remote work, such as interpreting over the phone.
A graduate of the University of Denver, Menjivar said the work in Dilley is an outgrowth of her
efforts to encourage other undocumented immigrants to attend college like she did. She eventually
wants to get a master's degree.
"I focused on empowering youth when I was [at the University of Denver], and now I'm making that
transition from just trying to help immigrant youth to doing some of the bigger things -- like trying to
find out why are women being compelled to make that dangerous trek from their countries of origin
to the United States," Menjivar said.