Dear Friends,
The Immigrant Defense Project is often the last line of resort for immigrants who face detention and deportation because of drug offenses. Harsh immigration laws can make it nearly impossible to win many cases, but time after time, IDP embraces the long shots. Today, we share the story of one New Yorker who IDP helped beat the odds.
A longtime green card holder, Mr. Smith* built his life and family in Brooklyn. After the violent death of a family member in the early 2000s, Mr. Smith struggled with depression and substance abuse. In that era of broken windows policing, he was convicted for selling a small quantity of crack-cocaine.
Years later, after serving his sentence, that single conviction sent Mr. Smith to immigration detention for four years, and ultimately, got him deported.
At IDP, we knew to never give up. Every step of the way, we fought the government’s interpretation of the law, which condemned countless immigrants to deportation because of drug offenses. After a hard-fought litigation campaign that IDP supported, and a string of wins in the Supreme Court, the Second Circuit issued a landmark ruling in Harbin v. Sessions. In Harbin, the Court found that thousands of immigrants, including Mr. Smith, had wrongly suffered deportation, and other consequences, because of New York drug convictions.
With the support of our pro bono partners at Gibson Dunn, Mr. Smith’s immigration case has just been terminated. After being deported and spending six long years separated from his family, Mr. Smith can finally come home.
Victories like this one take years of hard work and determination. In large part, it's thanks to you all—our loyal community of IDP supporters. With your support, we can maintain the flexibility to make strategic interventions and fight cases like Mr. Smith's; by making a gift to IDP today, you can help us to continue fighting long shot cases in the fight for fairness and justice for all immigrants.
*Mr. Smith is a pseudonym used to protect our client’s identity.
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