Stokes Lawrence Team Convinces Court to Allow Pro Bono Client to Stay in U.S.

Last week, a team of Stokes Lawrence lawyers and staff, led by Brad Axel and Liz Findley, persuaded an immigration judge to allow a young Honduran man to stay in the United States indefinitely. This is the second time in the past month Stokes Lawrence employees have successfully assisted pro bono clients fleeing violence and the threat of death in Latin America. In June, Sean Russel and Jaime Cuevas, Jr. helped a Mexican family receive asylum.

The client from Honduras faced years of violence before leaving his home country and seeking safety in the United States. When the client was 11, his father was gunned down by gang members as the family walked home from church. The following year his oldest brother was killed by the same gang members outside his home. At 15, the client himself was shot multiple times and spent weeks in a hospital. At 19, he finally fled to the United States to escape the continued threats of death.

The immigration judge’s ruling allows the young man to remain in the United States and to obtain a work permit to work legally in the United States. Former Stokes Lawrence attorney Joan Hemphill was instrumental in guiding the case, and Jose Maria Aguilar Flores, Yu-Shan Sheard, Lindsay Tardiff and Arlette Rodriguez all provided invaluable assistance in achieving a successful outcome.