On Tuesday, October 27, the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC) hosted a panel discussion for clinic students on the topic of community organization and immigration. The event was the last in a series of discussions intended to promote conversations about the history and reality of practicing law in Charlottesville, familiarizing clinic students with the communities they are serving. While the first two events in the series focused heavily on the history of Charlottesville, specifically with regard to the African American community, this event turned to current issues within the immigration context of the Virginia community.
The panel was moderated by Elizabeth Schmelzel, director of the Immigration Law Clinic, and featured Boris Ozuna, community organizer at LAJC, and Veronica Espinosa Lainez, community health coordinator at Partner for Mental Health. Each panelist first began with an introduction to their work and personal background. Boris Ozuna grew up in Colombia and got his start in community organizing during his protests to stop the war at home. Once he moved to the United States, he shifted his focus to defending immigrants from detention and deportation, with a focus on protesting the prison construction in Shenandoah. Veronica Espinosa grew up in Mexico and has been living in Charlottesville for over a decade. Her love for community organizing grew out of wanting to help have important conversations with her people and figuring out how to build a better future.
After introductions, Schmelzel then gave the students an explanation for the choice of the day’s topic, stating that the reality of current immigration is that it is a “difference not of degree, but kind.” As an immigration attorney, Schmelzel stated that what she is witnessing on the ground is a “dark moment of American immigration [where] violence is real and alive.” However, she continued to emphasize that despite what students may feel in the Law School, attorneys are often not the most important role in a time like this. It is the immigrants, their families, and the community organizers who are not only there on the ground, but the centerpiece of change. She then transitioned into asking the panelists what they have witnessed in Charlottesville regarding immigration as of late. Orzuna opined that communities are feeling more afraid than ever, stating that many members are afraid as well of moving away due to the increased presence of immigration law enforcement. Espinosa echoed this sentiment and also highlighted how the heightened enforcement can ripple out into minority communities avoiding necessary services, such as medical aid, child care, etc. This can also affect their development, as many children are scared to go to school while parents are afraid of going to work or seeking higher education. Both panelists pointed to a large feeling of isolation in the community at large right now, and that increased immigration enforcement has driven people apart.
Schmelzel segued to ask what current mobilization looks like within the community in response to immigration enforcement changes and how it should look. Orzuna likened the response to how any response would look “when your neighbor disappears.” The traumatic events can spark movement among the neighborhood—people reaching out to help children and taking care of the household and other affairs. However, Espinosa focused on the lack of preventative measures in the mobilization efforts currently. She explains that more people need to be curious not only about what is happening, but also about how to help. Whether it is preventative rights trainings, figuring out which help lines exist, or how to collect vital information, she believes what the community is in need of right now is more preventative action in order to be successful.
Schemelzel used the opportunity to discuss how legal aid can help the mobilization efforts and how to foster a healthy relationship between the community and legal aid members. Orzuna responded with an emphasis on humanity and empathy, warning students to consider themselves people first and titles second; “titles are just skills we gained, but we’re more than that.” When working on building relationships with communities affected by immigration, he argued that where power lies is in the ability to listen and grow human connections. That is the mark of successful mobilization, not merely legal skills. Espinosa added that minority communities are often receiving legal aid through word of mouth: “If you do the extra work or go the extra mile, the word about you will spread. The opposite is also true if you do not treat people well.” Schmelzel took in this sentiment and echoed once again to the students that “we do not speak for the voiceless; we stand alongside them and take their lead.”
Overall, the event encouraged clinic and pro bono students to consider the humanity of those they are working with. In a time when many communities are feeling increasingly isolated by immigration enforcement, the panelists wanted to highlight how law students can play a role in decreasing that feeling of loneliness.
Author: Kelly Wu ’27, gcu2vn@virginia.edu