Interview Capstone Questions

Interviewer: Israel Aragon

Interviewee: Mariame

What department are you in? Catholic Charities, St. Francis Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assitance
What does your department do? We provide free and low-fee legal services to individuals seeking immigration
assistance and we also provide general education and outreach to the community.
Who is eligible for the programs? Individuals seeking our assistance typically have an immigration issue, or
seek immigration help for a family member. We screen individuals at our attorney consultations and if they
seem like they have a case that we can accept, they are scheduled for an appointment. Some individuals,
depending on the income level of the household, can qualify for free services. Otherwise, there may be low
fees charged for our legal representation.
What is the percentage of people that are accepted? This depends and is different based on the program.
Generally, we assist almost all the individuals that come into contact with us, and although not all of the cases
are accepted by the office, we are able to provide them with referrals to other service providers.
What tends to be the education of the people applying? This depends. For a program that I work with, DACA,
individuals must be currently in school, be enrolled in a GED, or have completed high school or a GED. All of
our DACA applicants are in school or have graduated from school, and most individuals renewing their DACA
continue to stay in school. At least around 10% have gone on to pursue college-level studies after high school.
What tends to be the financial situation of the people applying? This depends, often based on the type of
status the client has or the type of status the client is seeking. Frequently, individuals applying for DACA may
have never had prior work authorization and it is not unusual for their households to fall below the poverty
guidelines. Other individuals seeking other types of immigration assistance may have work authorization
already and may have jobs that provide a decent income. Oftentimes, we see that income level increases the
longer that clients have been workingthe longer that they have had work authorization.
What is the legal status of most of the people? This depends. We assist individuals in all different kinds of legal
status, including refugees, DACA applicants, green card holders, etc. We help individuals apply for citizenship,
and we even help individuals who have citizenship if they are seeking assistance with a case like a family
petition.