Immigration
Willkie’s dedication to helping those seeking safety and a new life in the United States always has been a core feature of our pro bono practice. We assist clients who cannot afford legal representation with asylum, U and T Visas, VAWA, Special Immigration Juvenile Status and more.
Willkie has obtained asylum and other forms of immigration relief for individuals from countries all over the world, including Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, China, Columbia, The Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Russia, Somalia, Tibet, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
Willkie also engages in litigation on behalf of immigrants’ rights. For example, as part of a legal coalition, Willkie filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Maryland on behalf of CASA de Maryland seeking to rescind the Trump Administration’s efforts to terminate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In July 2020, the District Court in Maryland, in the case brought by Willkie, vacated the termination of DACA and mandated full restoration to its pre-termination status. The ruling thereby required the Administration to accept DACA applications, provide work authorization and advance parole to DACA recipients and prohibited the use of information provided in DACA applications for immigration enforcement purposes.
Willkie attorneys regularly respond to humanitarian crises throughout the world.
- Willkie attorneys provide pro bono legal services to Afghan asylum and humanitarian parole seekers through our partnerships with the Afghan Network for Advocacy, HIAS, Human Rights First, Tahirih Justice Center, VECINA and others.
- Willkie teams are actively helping with various initiatives for Ukraine. Our European offices are working on matters ranging from assisting an NGO with sourcing housing for Ukrainian refugees to providing legal advice to a French non-profit offering medical and health support to Ukrainians. In 2022, a Willkie team based in Germany, New York, and California secured humanitarian parole for an 86-year-old Ukrainian grandmother whose daughter lives in Virginia. Willkie attorneys also are working with New York Legal Assistance Group and Lawyers for Good Government to assist Ukrainians currently in the U.S. with obtaining legal status.
Awards and Recognition
- Willkie attorney was recognized by Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) with the “KINDness Matters” award from KIND’s Northern Virginia office in 2022.
- Willkie partner was named KIND’s 2020 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year.
- Willkie partner received the City Bar Justice Center 2020 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award. They were also was named “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer for their pro bono efforts reuniting a 12-year-old Iranian national with her mother following former President Trump’s first executive order imposing a travel ban.
- Willkie was honored at Immigration Equality’s 2020 Safe Haven Awards with the #ProudandFree Law Firm Award.