WASHINGTON -- Friday night, after President Trump signed the Executive Order on Immigration, hundreds of attorneys from across the region countered by showing up at Dulles Airport to help international travelers who were caught up in the newly enacted immigration ban.
“We’re trying to get access to the men and women who are being held and it would be helpful if we could get a better sense of who they are,” expressed an attorney, camped out at the airport.
On Saturday, dozens of lawyers assembled at Dulles International Airport to offer free legal aid to those being detained.
“We are here to see if we can provide legal representation because the moment they land in the United States, the Supreme Court has a case on this, they have absolute right to due process,” explained Attorney Ali Rahnama.
By Sunday, there were more than 100 lawyers at Dulles, waiting and willing to take on cases for free.
“I know what it is like to come to a new place and be overwhelmed by a whole new system and a whole new way of doing things. To have someone there who can help you out and hold your hand and really explain and simplify, what can be very complex process, I think, is very important to what I believe is the American way of doing things,” Omar El-Khattabi said, as he waited in baggage claim.
“This country has always been a refuge for people in need. At times, that promise was sort of imperfectly kept but it still is seen as a place that will take in the most powerless among us and I truly believe that is part of the greatness of this county,” Catherine Bernard told DCW50, as she too waited to assist people who were held, questioned, and detained by Customs.While some attorneys described the executive order as controversial and cruel, El-Khattabi said there is a bright side to it all.
“Well, there is heart break, but on the other side of things there is great happiness in knowing we can overcome certain things and come together and really show a united front and show that we’re not going to let people be treated badly.”
Experts said the need for legal aid is not likely to subside anytime soon. One attorney told DCW50 that there will be an on-going need to file federal petitions as well as represent clients on the merits of their deportation cases. Some even argue the legal issues raised in this new immigration ban are likely to end up in front of the Supreme Court.