23 Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project The Mintz Levin 2008 Pro Bono Report “Manny,” a citizen of Uganda, first came to the United States in September 2006 to visit a family member. Upon his return, he was arrested by government police and accused, falsely, of traveling to the U.S. to raise money to support plans to overthrow the Ugandan government. For three weeks, Manny’s accusers, who were government officials, beat and tortured him, imprisoned him in filthy conditions, and injected him with a substance that has caused permanent damage to his liver. Ultimately, Manny was left for dead on the side of a highway by his captors. After months of hiding in fear for his life, unable to work or to see his family, Manny escaped to the United States in August 2007, seeking asylum from persecution for his political views. This journey was an arduous one and Manny was forced to leave his entire life behind in Uganda, including a successful construction business–and his family. When he arrived in the U.S., Manny found support at the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR). PAIR then turned to Mintz Levin’s extensive international asylum and immigration expertise. Attorneys Megan Gates and Marianne Staniunas and project analyst Nicholas Payton first met Manny in March 2008, going to work immediately to prepare his asylum application. After months of collecting affidavits from Manny’s physicians and psychiatrist, documenting the physical and emotional scarring that he still bears, and researching the political conditions in Uganda, the Mintz Levin team submitted an asylum application on Manny’s behalf. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Asylum Office quickly scheduled Manny for an interview to evaluate the validity of his asylum claim. On August 20, 2008, Manny appeared before an Asylum Officer, supported by his Mintz Levin team, and eloquently explained his story and arguing his deserving case for political asylum. On September 5, 2008, his application for asylum was granted. In Manny’s words, he was “overjoyed” at the result and by the fact that it was accomplished within a remarkably short period of time. He now hopes to bring his wife and three children, who remain in Uganda—still subjected to harassment and threats—here to join him. Manny’s story is representative of Mintz Levin’s long-standing commitment to political asylum casework. Since the early 1990s, the firm has partnered with PAIR to provide pro bono legal counsel to individuals and families fleeing persecution in their native countries on account of race, political affiliation, religion, and other basic human rights. The firm has repre- sented more than 75 individuals and families seeking refuge under the U.S. political asylum laws. “ Manny’s fundamental grace, dignity and warmth in the face of truly horrific events in his life were evident each and every time that the members of his Mintz Levin team met with him. We felt privileged to have had the opportunity to repre- sent him in the asylum process and to help him achieve this life-changing outcome.” - Megan Gates