On January 14, 2025, Glenn Agre, along with Sanctuary for Families, secured a significant win in a pro bono case for a client seeking asylum in the United States. The client had faced innumerable instances of physical violence, verbal harassment, and threats in Jamaica due to his sexuality and gender presentation. When the client reported incidents to the police, they did not take him seriously and did nothing to help. After a particularly horrific attack in his own home in a supposedly “safe” neighborhood, his attackers warned him not to return, and the client came to terms with the fact that it would never be safe for him to live in Jamaica. He sought asylum in the United States only a few weeks later. Since moving to New York in 2021, the client’s mental health and sense of self have improved drastically. The client has obtained a job he enjoys and is allowed to be himself at work.
Associates Samantha Bennett, Colleen Piasentin, and Eric Wang and legal practice assistant Lisa Balbin represented the client. Jumping on the case in October, the team moved very quickly to secure the client’s safety, as they anticipated changes in immigration policy under the incoming administration.
The team continued to work expeditiously up to the last hour. On the day of the client’s asylum hearing, the judge pushed the hearing to earlier in the day by five hours. The judge granted asylum in less than 30 minutes, likely on the strength of the papers the team submitted.