CRIS Legal Services Advocates for Clients in Federal Court
CRIS client ‘Ahmad’ and his CRIS attorney greet each other following his release from ICE detention
Ahmad* was a journalist and photographer who worked for the Afghan government, documenting his country with a camera during one of the most fragile periods in its history. When the Taliban swept back into power and the government collapsed, people like Ahmad — whose faces and names were tied to the fallen government and who had spent years doing their jobs honestly — became targets. He had no choice but to run.
He came to the United States and applied for protection. The government agreed he had a credible fear of persecution and granted him parole. He was connected with CRIS Legal Services in 2022, seeking assistance with his work authorization card and asylum applications. CRIS Legal Services assisted him with both and have been representing him since then. In that time, Ahmad has lived in Central Ohio, worked, and checked in with ICE regularly, doing exactly what was required. He was never accused of a crime. He never missed a check-in.
During a routine appointment with his local immigration office one day, though, Ahmad’s life turned upside down in an instant, once again—ICE arrested him and placed him in the Butler County Jail. When he asked for a bond hearing, the immigration judge refused to even consider it, claiming the court had no jurisdiction to hear it. Ahmad sat in that cell while his attorney at CRIS took his case to federal court, filing a habeas corpus petition on his behalf.
The federal judge’s decision came as a relief to Ahmad and his attorney, confirming that what the government did was unconstitutional.
While this decision was good news for Ahmad, it did not mean he could immediately be released. The immigration judge set a bond of $30,000 – the full amount, in cash, required before Ahmad could return home. His CRIS attorney spent the next 48 hours making non-stop calls to bond funds in every state he could reach, trying to piece together the funds needed to bring him home. Two days after the bond was set, his tireless work proved successful: Ahmad walked out of detention, able to return home.
Today, thanks to the work authorization card that CRIS helped him obtain, Ahmad is back on his feet and back to work. He is driving Amazon delivery routes. He is driving for Uber and Lyft. He is supporting himself, contributing to his community, and moving forward with his life — because CRIS attorneys refused to give up.
Thousands of Haitians and Syrians in our community and across the country face detention and deportation as a result of the recent Supreme Court decision greenlighting the Trump administration to terminate their Temporary Protected Status. Our legal team anticipates the need for more federal litigation to advocate for those we serve, and we will need the support of our community.
Donate to this work to help us keep advocating for our neighbors in need.
To learn more about the importance of habeas corpus petitions, read this explainer.
*Name changed to protect privacy