Justice delayed is justice denied: GAIN launches Mandamus Project

Atlanta, GA—Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Justice delayed is justice denied. From our twenty years of serving immigrant survivors of crime and persecution, GAIN has witnessed our clients wait years—even decades—to learn whether or not they will be able to remain safely in the U.S.

Applicants for asylum, work permits, and other immigration benefits often face extreme delays in receiving a decision on their applications. This can result in losing access to work authorization, prolonged separation from spouses or children, an inability to access public benefits, inability to travel, being barred from certain types of jobs, and remaining in legal limbo for an indefinite period of time. Shifting agency policies and priorities often mean that some applicants’ cases may never be adjudicated. 

Thanks to generous grant funding support from the Georgia Bar Foundation, GAIN recently launched our new Mandamus Project to restore accountability by advocating for timely resolutions in cases that have been stuck in legal uncertainty for years. We ensure immigrant survivors receive the justice they deserve by compelling government agencies to make decisions on long-pending legal cases. GAIN’s initiative highlights the importance of transparency and responsiveness in public service, while empowering immigrant survivors to exercise power in their legal process and move forward in their lives towards safety, freedom, and opportunity.

This fall, GAIN achieved our first outcome in our Mandamus Project. Managing Asylum Attorney Amir Naim’s lawsuit compelled USCIS to make a decision on a case that was significantly delayed and had deeply impacted our client’s life. After eight long years, we were finally able to send this client an asylum approval notice! “This win means that our client was finally granted asylum after more than eight years in the backlog,” shared Amir. “Because of inexcusable and unexplained delays, he lost his ability to work and sometimes went days without a proper meal. After a long wait, he can finally begin rebuilding his life in safety and security.”