Hi, everyone! My name is Shamaila S. Malik. I am a criminal and immigration solo practitioner in the DFW area. I am asking for donations to help cover expenses for an upcoming volunteer trip my sister, Shahana Malik, and I will be taking to Dilley, Texas.
What's in Dilley, Texas?
The Dilley Family Residential Center, or the "Baby Jail" as we like to call it (which is what it really is), is a detention center in the tiny town of Dilley, Texas. With the influx of unaccompanied minors and women with children seeking asylum at the border, the Department of Customs and Border Patrol has been housing them in remote locations. The Baby Jail is detaining 2,400 women and children seeking protection. More than 90% of them have no access to attorneys. Without an attorney, many of them are in jeopardy of being returned to conditions that threaten their lives.
These families are fleeing horrific domestic violence and gang-related violence through no fault of their own. U.S. ICE built this facility in the middle of nowhere - presumably with the hopes that no lawyers would show up to help these families. Fortunately, lawyers have been showing up, but it is a very expensive place to travel.
We plan on going to Dilley during the week of August 21, 2016. It is a one-week commitment during which we will be living and working in Dilley, Texas. Donations will help to cover the costs incurred in traveling and staying there, including flights to and from San Antonio (closest airport to Dilley), gas/car rental (it's an hour and a half drive from the airport), hotel, supplies the pro bono project may need to keep operating, etc.
While there, we will be working on prepping for credible fear interviews, bond hearings, hopefully getting women and children released from detention, asylum applications, administrative or clerical work that needs to be completed, and generally giving some semblance of hope to these tragic victims.
Any amount donated over the bare minimum to fund this trip will be donated to the general fund to help other lawyers make the trip to Dilley, or, if feasible, make a second trip myself.
For more information about this issue, see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/family-immi...
Thank you in advance for any donations you can make! As they always say, every donation, no matter what amount, will go a long way towards reaching our goal!
If you would like to volunteer yourself or maybe make the trip with us, please don't hesitate to contact me!
For more information about me, you can visit www.MalikLawFirm.com
**As a note, all funds received through this site will be put into a separate bank account; it won't be commingled with any personal or business expenses or funds. For full transparency, after the trip is over, I will post an update regarding all the funds received and all the expenses paid for.
THANK YOU!!