June 2022 Client of the Month- YMM

June 2022 Client of the Month- YMM Our client of the month for June 2022 is YMM, who has been a client of Benach Collopy since 2013 and sought and was granted citizenship this winter.  In addition to being one of the loveliest people one could ever hope to meet, YMM is a Spanish national who worked with BC Partner Dree Collopy to seek lawful permanent resident status along with her husband.  She and her husband were granted green cards in 2015 based on an approved extraordinary ability (EB-1) petition. 

Client of the Month- May 2022- Lady!

Client of the Month- May 2022- Lady! Lady and her two boys! For our client of the month for May we have a perfect Client for Mother’s Day! Here we celebrate a woman who did what mothers do best- protect her children and create a better life for them. We are happy to share that Lady and her sons, Diego and Juan, were granted asylum! Ava Benach represented them before the immigration court in New York.

Client of the Month- March 2022- Azeb!

Client of the Month- March 2022- Azeb! Azeb and Dree Collopy We are happy to once again begin our client of the month series with a Dree Collopy victory! This month, we celebrate our client Azeb, who was granted asylum from Ethiopia after a long battle to obtain the safety in this country that she deserves. Azeb fled to the US after she had been wrongfully imprisoned in Ethiopia for standing up to government harm to journalists and political opponents.

December 2018 Client of the Month- Selamawit Chale

December 2018 Client of the Month- Selamawit Chale   One morning in April of 2015, we had the honor of meeting Selamawit Chale for the first time.  She came to our office, broken, hurting, and terrified, but at the same time, her inner strength was palpable.  We learned that Selam was once a bright and hopeful young woman, anxious to make a difference in the world and to contribute to her communities; however, traumatic events in her childhood, followed by years of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her husband had silenced her. 

Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez and Roxsana Hernandez were killed by U.S. immigration authorities last month

Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez and Roxsana Hernandez were killed by U.S. immigration authorities last month On May 4, 1970, U.S. National Guardsmen shot and killed four people protesting the Vietnam War.  The massacre, known as the Kent State shootings, topped a tumultuous decade that spurred a lot of violence against those making then-controversial claims to civil rights.  In the aftermath of the shooting, many Americans blamed the protesting students and cited violations of law allegedly committed by the protestors.  What was not in dispute was that four young people lost their lives that day at the hand of troops acting under the flag of the United States.

What is the Caravan and what should U.S. immigration authorities do with it?

What is the Caravan and what should U.S. immigration authorities do with it? We have heard a lot about the “Caravan” of immigrants making its way north through Mexico from the Northern Triangle- El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala- of Central America.  Once numbering over 1200 people, the remaining 150-200 members Caravan arrived at the U.S. border to request refuge in the United States.   When they got there, they were told that the U.S. was full.  There was not even a manger to house them.

Moving Uptown

Moving Uptown What a year! 2017 will go down as one of the weirdest years we can remember.  And for all the terrible news, we will remember this year as one of tremendous change and growth.  On December 22, 2017, we will officially occupy our new office space at 4530 Wisconsin Avenue.  While it is hard to leave downtown Washington DC, driving past the White House has lost nearly all of its charm this year. 

Client of the Month December 2017- Angie Salguero

Client of the Month December 2017- Angie Salguero This month, we are pleased to honor Angie Salguero as our Client of the Month. Angie, a transgender woman from El Salvador, won her case for asylum last month in front of the immigration judge in Baltimore, MD. Angie’s story of violence and persecution from a very young age included physical abuse by the police and gangs, the loss of family, a dangerous trip to the United States, and stay in immigration detention. 

Same trusted immigration law firm. New look that’s more us.

Same trusted immigration law firm. New look that’s more us. Our website looks subtly different. When you visit our new offices (soon!) or open our emails, you’re greeted with a fresh, clean vibe. Today, we’re excited to unveil the new look of Benach Collopy!   Why the new look? Candidly, our old look was pretty boring. While it was clean and professional, it was also a little trite and expected from a law firm. That’s simply not us.

Client of the Month October 2017- Reina Mercado

Client of the Month October 2017- Reina Mercado This one makes us so happy.  Reina Mercado is a catracha (native of Honduras) who arrived to the U.S. undocumented in the early 90s.  Following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Mitch in October 1998, the Attorney General designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans on January 5, 1999 and Reina was eligible for it.  The government may designate a country for TPS when there is a catastrophic situation in that country, such as war or natural disasters, that makes it inhumane to remove individuals to that country at that time.