Every year on the Fourth of July, Carnegie Corporation of New York–an organization devoted to advancing democracy, education, and international peace–celebrates naturalized U.S. citizens who have “enriched and strengthened our nation and our democracy through their contributions and actions.” This year, the 35 honorees come from 33 different countries, and have all benefited the United States in important ways.
Several honorees on the list are forced migrants, and I want to highlight a few of their stories. While the Carnegie honorees are extraordinary, in many respects, their stories and their contributions are not so different from other immigrants and refugees, including many of my own clients. Every day, I am amazed by what my asylee clients have overcome and what they accomplish once they are here. As our nation celebrates its 247th birthday, it is worth reflecting on the contributions that immigrants–including refugees and asylees–have made. And so, without further ado, here are a few Carnegie honorees who were forced to flee their home countries, and who have enriched our nation by their presence.
Ghida Dagher: At the age of nine, Ghida Dagher and her family fled civil war in Sierra Leone and sought asylum in the United States. “Having moved here as a refugee and growing up in communities of low income is [a] real life experience that I take with me,” she said. “It shapes the trajectory of my career.” “I often say that it’s my immigrant experience that grounds me, but it’s my American experience that propels me.” Ms. Dagher is the president and CEO of New American Leaders, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to building a more inclusive democracy by training first- and second-generation Americans to run for public office, and by “championing New Americans as crucial participants in the American political system.” “As a refugee and as an immigrant,” she says, “there’s a sense of responsibility to carry forward this message of inclusiveness, this message of hopefulness, this message of unity.” “Ultimately all of the things that are American in my eyes.”
Ke Huy Quan: If you don’t know Ke Huy Quan, you should get to know him. Last year, he appeared in the hit movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, and won a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Oscar for best supporting actor. Mr. Quan opened his Academy Awards acceptance speech by stating, “My journey started on a boat.” “I spent a year in a refugee camp.” “And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.” When Mr. Quan was seven years old, his family fled Vietnam and ended up in a refugee camp in Hong Kong with his father and five siblings, separated from his mother. The family reunited a year later in the United States, where they received asylum. Mr. Quan had a difficult adjustment in the U.S. and was teased in school. But later, he accompanied his brother to an open casting call where Director Steven Spielberg picked him to play Short Round, the young sidekick in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). At the time, he told an interviewer, “I think I changed a lot.” “I was a boat [person], and now I get to make the movie.” Mr. Quan continued to struggle after Indiana Jones and had not appeared in front of a camera for 30 years when he was chosen for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Mr. Quan concluded his Academy Awards speech by noting that stories like his only happen in the movies. “I cannot believe it’s happening to me,” he said. “This is the American dream!”
Jean-Claude Brizard: When he was a young boy, Jean-Claude Brizard’s parents were forced to flee Haiti for the United States after Dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier imprisoned his grandfather and threatened to detain his father. Mr. Brizard and his siblings were left in the care of their grandmother, and would not reunite with their parents for six years. In the U.S., Mr. Brizard began a teaching career in the New York public school system, where he witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by students and the critical role that educators play in their lives. He went on to hold multiple senior leadership roles in public education, including serving as chief executive of Chicago Public Schools, superintendent of schools for the Rochester, NY, City School District, and senior advisor and deputy director in U.S. Programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Today, Mr. Brizard is president and CEO of Digital Promise, a global nonpartisan nonprofit organization focused on accelerating innovation in education. In an interview, Mr. Brizard recalled that his parents “sacrificed to get us to America and I will always work to honor their legacy and the gift of opportunity that they afforded me.” “It is my fondest hope that someday every child in America will grow up with that same sense of hope.”
Timnet Gebru: As a teenager, Timnit Gebru fled political violence in Ethiopia and sought asylum in the United States. She was surprised by the racism she encountered here and realized that she had to be an advocate for herself and others to overcome bias. She went on to earn a PhD from Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and to co-found Black in AI, an organization devoted to increasing representation of Black people in the field. Dr. Gebru later helped lead Google’s Ethical Artificial Intelligence research team, where she worked to highlight biases and ethical risks within the technology and within the company itself. She was eventually fired by Google for coauthoring a paper examining racial discrimination and bias present in large language models, a type of AI software. As she put it, “I’m not worried about machines taking over the world.” “I’m worried about group-think, insularity, and arrogance in the AI community.” “If many people are actively excluded from its creation, this technology will benefit a few while harming a great many.” Dr. Gebru now leads the Distributed AI Research Institute, which documents the effect of artificial intelligence on marginalized groups.
Wesaam Al-Badry: At the age of seven, Wesaam Al-Badry and his family fled Iraq after their village was attacked during the Gulf War. They ended up in a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia where Mr. Al-Badry first became interested in photography. Eventually, the family was relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska, to a rundown apartment. But as Mr Al-Badry recalled, “To me, it was beautiful… people don’t understand… having running water and a good night’s sleep… just changes a lot.” Still, he felt the disconnect between his experience as a refugee and his new home. His interest in photography and his own experience with displacement would go on to shape Mr. Al-Badry’s work as an investigative, new media journalist, and interdisciplinary artist. His work focuses on marginalized, oppressed, and forgotten people, as well as members of the Middle Eastern and the North African diasporas. Mr. Al-Badry has worked for CNN and Al Jazeera America, exhibited in major museums, and won numerous awards.
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Conversations about refugees and asylum seekers too often involve only what we purportedly give to them (or what they purportedly take from us). We forget that these new Americans often contribute much more than they take. Helping refugees is the right thing to do; it is also an investment in our nation’s future. These extraordinary honorees are a powerful reminder of what we gain when we help refugees.
Hi Jason,
I was a dependent of an asylum applicant with a pending case. my EAD expires today and I currently work as a nurse and they are filing for my green card.
my lawyer said due to the current retrogression, my i140, i765 and i130 will not be filed yet. i ca not renew my ead because of the divorce.
am I currently staying in the US as an unlawful resident? what do I do next?
If you are legally divorced and your EAD was based on the marriage to an asylum applicant, then you cannot renew the EAD and unless you have some other status here, you are in unlawful status (and have been since the divorce became final). This could affect your ability to get a GC based on your job, and hopefully, your lawyer is aware of your status and making a plan for you. I wrote about getting a GC through employment, and whether you have to leave the US, on August 28, 2018 and September 6, 2018, but I think you need to coordinate with your attorney and come up with a plan (which may or may not involve filing your own asylum case). If you are not yet divorced and still a dependent on the asylum case, you can file to renew the EAD and/or file your own asylum application. Those things may not help you much in terms of getting a GC through your job, but again, it is something to discuss with the lawyer so you have a plan. Take care, Jason
Thank you so much for your reply, Jason. I have informed my work-appointed lawyer, but I have never been able to get an appointment with him. What is my best next step? please advise
I think you need a lawyer who will help you. If your lawyer is not responding, you may need a new lawyer. On the other hand, if that person is supposed to be your lawyer (or is your lawyer), they have a duty to respond to you – it is a requirement, and you can point that out (though maybe you don’t want to aggravate the person who is supposed to be helping you). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, thanks for the wonderful help.I have a question please. In my asylum case, i was arrested and questioned and allowed to go with no paperwork. It is very common practice with the country’s instability. My wife will be filling for my greencard. On the instructions of form I 485…they seem to require some paper work about the arrest which I don’t have. Any advice for me please?
First, I would make sure that anything you say about the arrest in the I-485 is consistent with anything you said previously, like in the I-589. If there is a difference, you should explain why. In terms of an arrest with no paperwork, I think you just need to explain that in the cover letter and it should be fine. If it was mentioned in your asylum case, you can say that you told the asylum office about it previously. Take care, Jason
Im enquiring on behalf of my uncle who doesnt speak english. His work permit is pending as of march 2 2023. That is 147 days. He applied for initial permission to work. This was his first i-765 application so he should have got it in 30 days under rosario. What should be done. Plus if his work permit is denied and he reapplies is he still under rosario and has to be given decision in 30 days or its just the first time of applying.
It seems to me that he applied too soon. I do not know if that will cause the case to be denied. He can inquire about the delayed EAD at a dedicated email address: tsc.classaction@uscis.dhs.gov. If the EAD is denied and he re-applies, I do not know whether the 30-day processing time applies, but certainly he can ask for that. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Do you know what are the questions that USCIS going to ask during the green card interview? (asylum grant based). There is a question on I485 saying if i am a member of an organization… My attorney suggested me to say no. So I putted no for that question. But on my I589, I putted yes on a similar question. I asked my attorney about this and she said she does not think the USCSI officer are going to check my I589 form. Would that be an issue? And what can I do? I am a little bit freack out. Im in GA, can i hire you to be my attorney?
I disagree with your lawyer. I have seen many times where USCIS sends a request for evidence asking why the I-589 lists a membership but the I-485 does not. You can wait and see what happens – maybe USCIS will miss it. If you get a request for evidence about this, you would just explain the omission and it should be ok. Alternatively, you can submit a letter now explaining that you forgot to list your membership, in order to try to get ahead of this issue. It is best if you have an online account and can do it online, but you can also do it by mail. Although we have seen this issue a number of times, no one has ever been denied for this reason, and as long as you respond, you should be ok. I would probably recommend sending the info before they ask, as that looks better, but it is up to you. As for me, it is not really efficient to get involved in a case at this stage, and I do not know that I would have the capacity to assist now anyway, sorry. Take care, Jason
I applied work permit finally after waiting 152 days with ASAP membership. But here is problem i applied asylum after few years in usa . So i think im barred from asylum but maybe i can get withholding of removal. My question is due to me filing it late, can i still Get ead. Will my ead come or will it be denied due to one year deadline. Moreover ultimately cani get my asylum case approved even though one year deadline. Or i can only get withholding
ZACHARY, Jason is going to respond to your question soon. In the meantime, I can tell you that the one-year bar doesn’t apply to EAD eligibility. The 1-year bar mostly affects asylum eligibility. To be eligible for an EAD, you must first file the I-589 and wait the minimum number of days your I-589 is pending (150 days after USCIS/EOIR has received your I-589) to submit the I-765 application. If a final decision has not been made on your I-589 application, and your application for asylum is pending for 180 days or more, you are eligible to receive the EAD (providing there is no criminal/other issues with your case). You can read more on the “180-day asylum EAD clock”.
To overcome the one-year bar to asylum, your reason(s) for not filing the I-589 application within one year of your arrival in the US should be more than “I did not know…:” The law says that an asylum applicant who misses the 1-year deadline must demonstrate “by clear and convincing evidence that the application has been filed within 1 year after the date of the arrival in the United States.” Asylum officers and the courts typically make exceptions for applicants who miss the deadline in circumstances such as (not an exhaustive list):
-Serious illness.
-Mental or physical disability (including disability resulting from prior persecution)
-Mental impairment or other legal disability/bad legal advice.
-Applicant was an unaccompanied minor.
-Changed country conditions while in the US
-Personal changed conditions (for example, you converted to a religion that would cause you to be persecuted if you should return home, or you discovered you were LGBTQ+, for e.g.) This one is more challenging, to me, to prove or used to convince the judge or an officer, but it is possible
In any event, your reason(s) for not filing your I-589 within one year of arrival in the US should be exceptional or compelling
I doubt the late filing will block you from getting an EAD. We have not seen that happen for many years, and even when it did happen, it was people in immigration court where the judge specifically blocked them. In terms of the case, you can and should try to overcome the 1-year bar. It is not always possible, but it often is possible. Talk to a lawyer about that. Also, I did a post on that point on January 18, 2018. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
i have a question if DHS has a case with some one about 4 years ago and the person did not get any charge or conviction but the case still open can he gets charge after this long time??? if not do you think it will effect on the case?
Sorry, I do not understand this question. It depends on what type of case, and without more info, I cannot respond, sorry. Take care, Jason
sorry for confucion,
i had the situation 4 years ago which was packaging and labeling the packages one morning from dhs came to my home search everything and i was told that time (2019) in the packages were part of gun that i was not aware so i help them and i was not arrested or charge or conviction, on Friday i called the officer who was involved my case that time i was told this,
No bother. I was able to speak with the case agent and unfortunately because there are still some ongoing matters I can’t comment on when a resolution will be reached on your backgrounds. I wish I had more news for you but since I’m not involved in the case anymore I don’t have any insight into a resolution nor could I comment on a possible resolution. I apologize but please try to be patient as things work themselves out.
What is your idea?, do you think i will get charge after 4 years, but i was innocent and also my background check will take for ever to be cleared?,
i mean if the case is still open and agent is working on that case is there any way i can get charge???
A criminal charge – even without a conviction seems to cause delay sometimes, so I guess this is not surprising. I am not sure what you can do (other than maybe filing a mandamus lawsuit to force them to process the case). Maybe a starting point is the USCIS Ombudsman – there is a link under Resources and they sometimes help with delayed cases (and it is free). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I know you are asylum lawyer. I have 2 questions, 1 about tourist visa and 1 about Green Card .
I am a US citizen through SIV. My brother is a Green Card holder through asylum. We are Afghans.
Our mother has a German Residence expiring 7/26/2025. Its extension is very likely. She would be continuing living in Germany.
My questions:
1- Is it a good idea to apply for tourist visa for her even if I am a citizen and my brother is a G.C holder?
2- If I apply for her Permanent Residence and she gets it. I read that she must intend to live in US otherwise it can be revoked if she stays outside US more than a certain time (I believe 6 months.).
My question: Can a person have US Green Card while having Residence Permit of another country.
Thanks,
1 – Sure – if she wants to come here for a visit, that is fine. 2 – She could get a GC even if she has some status in Germany (or other countries), but she needs to decide what she wants to do. If she plans to be mostly outside the US and only come here occasionally, she might be better off with a B visa, if she can get one. It can be difficult and expensive to maintain a GC if you live outside the US and for some people, it is not worthwhile to have one. It is not quite so simple to say that she has to spend a certain amount of time inside the US, and maintaining status depends in part on her intent and also on how much time she is here. You may want to talk through the specifics with a lawyer so you can decide what is best for her. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I am an asylum seeker from India. My dependents are still in COP. If my dependents travel to Germany or France for tourism/ family union and return to COP.
Considering that Germany and France also have asylum granting programs. How or will my dependents returning to my COP effect my asylum case in USA?
As of why they will return to my COP will be:
First, I have applied for asylum in USA and as dependents they will be protected once I am granted asylum.
Second, I don’t know if it will count, financial reasons. I cannot support them financially in Germany when I am an asylum seeker myself.
Third, linguistic issues, German vs English. Again I don’t know if it will count.
A second question: Does it effect asylum case if one spouse applies for asylum in one country and the other applies in another country and keeps each other as dependents?
Thanks a lot for all the advice you give to all of us!
WaKal
I doubt a trip by them to Europe and then a return to India will affect your case, but it may depend on your case. If you claim that the whole family is in danger, then you should be prepared to explain why they did not seek asylum and instead returned to Europe. Some of the reasons you give may be part of the explanation, but I think you would need to say more. If they seek asylum in another country, it would not affect you (maybe it would help your case to show that they have fled India as well). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason ,
Is there any list available of the countries that accept US issued refugee travel document and we can travel with RTD without needing passport or visa.
Thanks
Sid
I am not aware of such a list. I think you need to reach out to the embassy (or check the embassy website) to try to find out. Take care, Jason