A Message from Ark Clinic Director Noah Habeeb for the Ark's Sixth Anniversary

Six years ago, the Ark at CBST held our very first asylum clinic. At that first clinic in May 2019, there were two friends and 40 volunteers! While not the best ratio, this was powerful evidence that our community was ready to show up for asylum seekers.

Now, six years later, more than 1,000 volunteers and donors have shown up to support thousands of asylum seekers from more than 50 countries.

I hope you will consider making a donation to commemorate our sixth anniversary.

In the days after the inauguration this January 2025, I wrote in our newsletter:

In the days and weeks ahead, we will share more opportunities to learn more about changes to immigration policy and law, especially those that impact our friends. For now, know we will protect our immigrant communities. We will organize against every abuse. We will stand together. For everyone everything.

Since then, we have done exactly that. In just March and April, 16 friends of the Ark at CBST were granted asylum or withholding of removal with our pro se support. That includes a lesbian couple and their children from El Salvador; a lesbian woman from Peru; a gay man from Venezuela; a Jamaican woman and her children; and a Garifuna woman and her children from Honduras.

These life-changing wins happened thanks to your support, the hard work of our staff and interns, and most of all, our volunteers: Gail, Ann, Penny, Sherry, Ashton, Jorge, Daniella, Eric, Jennifer, Steph, Joan, Kiki, Dylan, Lina, Jacqueline, and most of all Santi, who contributed to many of these victories.

As horribly restrictive as this administration has been for immigrants and refugees, it is still possible for our friends to win asylum with our accompaniment and support.

Make a donation here to support our work.

📷 $18 covers passport photos for an asylum-seeking family
🖨️ $36 covers one week of application printing
📬$72 covers one week of application shipping and mailing
🚘 $180 covers transportation to and from an asylum interview
💻 $250 covers one Zoom account for one year of remote clinics
🚆 $500 covers four months of Metro cards so all of our friends can make their appointments and hearings

Love and solidarity,

Noah Elias Habeeb
Immigration Clinic Director