Staff Spotlight: Alicia Ramos Gordin, DOJ Accredited Representative at CLIA
What inspired you to pursue a career in legal immigration assistance?
I was inspired to pursue a career in legal immigration assistance because I had personal experience with friends who had really bad private immigration attorneys, and their families were out thousands of dollars and separated for years because of it. I don’t like seeing people taken advantage of just because they don’t know any better.
Can you share a memorable experience you've had while working with immigrants and refugees?
My favorite experience was being able to reunite a refugee mom and baby after being separated for months because the mother needed help with the legal paperwork. We were able to get the baby to the U.S. and back with his mother right before his first birthday.
What challenges do immigrants and refugees commonly face when seeking legal assistance, and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
The biggest obstacles I see are being able to afford an attorney and understanding what they are going to do for them. A lot of people can’t afford private attorneys, which is why we are here to provide free and low-cost services. It is also my job to break down the process for my clients so that they can understand what they need to do, step by step. A lot of our clients cannot even read or write, which leaves them in a very vulnerable position, but educating them on their process is important so that they aren’t so easily taken advantage of by others.
How has your background and personal journey influenced your approach to working with immigrants and refugees?
It pushes me to work harder for them and helps me teach them to advocate for themselves whenever possible.
What do you find most rewarding about your work at CLIA?
I can give people hope in their very long and confusing journey through the United States immigration system.
How do you stay updated with the constantly changing immigration laws and policies?
I am constantly educating myself. I am thankful to my organization and my boss who allow me to continue to keep up on the latest policies and take the latest training. Usually, this is done through in-person training or online webinar classes. We are allowed to take a wide variety of training courses, which helps us provide better services in all areas. We also get daily emails from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which update us on the latest policy and law updates.
Can you share an instance where your personal expertise made a significant difference in someone's life?
That is a hard one. I feel like I have made a difference in so many people’s lives. I was able to obtain asylum for one of my clients who was arrested, held, and tortured by the Taliban because they were providing food and medicine to displaced people during the evacuation. I was able to obtain their green card for them and then bring their spouse and child here to join them in the United States. It was nice to see that case to completion.
What advice would you give to immigrants and refugees who are navigating the legal system for the first time?
Educate yourselves before you let just anybody help you out in the process. Someone may sound good or be cheap, but the mistakes they make could impact your life in ways you would never imagine. Ask lots of questions, and get copies of everything. If someone is unwilling to answer your questions or give you copies of your paperwork, then they are probably not going to do a good job of helping you. Google can also tell you a lot about someone.
What are your hopes and aspirations for the future of immigration policies and support systems in our country?
I hope the U.S. can figure out how to get through its massive number of applications so there are no longer extensively long wait times to get cases approved.
