7 Seeking Refuge in a New Community “Qwin” was raised in a socially conservative East African country, where homosexuality is against the law and suspected LGBT people are targets of violence. She came to terms with being a lesbian while in college, became an LGBT activist, and has since worked with grassroots organizations and interna- tional human rights groups, focusing on sexual health and other LGBT issues. In her home country, after she helped organize an LGBT Pride event that was brutally disbanded by police, she was featured on the cover of an LGBT magazine. When her work and lifestyle became public, Qwin was attacked, threatened with vio- lence, evicted from homes, and rejected and threatened by her own family. The neighbor- hood council demanded that Qwin and her wife “Lois”—who were married even though it was against the law—appear at a meeting similar to those that had ended in the deaths of other LGBT people. The couple also narrowly escaped a group of men who held a knife to Lois’s neck and ripped the women’s clothing while attempting to rape them. These events drove the women into hiding, and Qwin went to work for an LGBT organization in a neighboring country. While she was away, her father’s family held a meeting and devised a plan to publicly beat her and force her to marry a man who would get her pregnant in order to “cure” her homosexuality. Qwin’s mother then advised her to move somewhere safe, outside of East Africa, and borrowed money for Qwin’s plane ticket to the United States. At Boston’s Logan Airport, Qwin declared that she was seeking asylum, and she was brought to a local detention facility. Rabbis from Newton’s Temple Emanuel met Qwin as part of an ongoing visitation program with the detention center and regularly spent time with her throughout her 15 weeks in custody. Congregant and Mintz attorney Michael Gardener brought the case to the attention of the firm, which was asked by the Political Asylum/Immigrant Representation (PAIR) Project to represent Qwin. Sue Finegan, the Chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Program, arranged resources inside and outside of the firm for the time-sensitive matter. Over a five-week period, Mintz attorneys Erica Coray, Martha Koster, and Alex Roan, and Mintz project analyst Morgan Sandhu, traveled to the Suffolk County House of Corrections every few days to visit Qwin and gather information. Erica, Martha, Alex, and PAIR staff attorney Elena drafted Qwin’s affidavit, and Morgan assembled supporting evidence, including letters, news stories and website excerpts about her activism, photos from her personal life, and reports on conditions faced by LGBT individuals in her home country. Erica and Martha also prepared Qwin for her hearing. During her hearing, Qwin became emotional while recounting the trauma she had experi- enced, yet refused to let the government attorney’s cross-examination minimize her experiences. The judge, moved by what he characterized as Qwin’s “compelling” testi- mony, issued the order to grant her asylum, and the govern- ment’s lawyer dropped his opposition to the asylum grant. “Qwin’s unjustified extended detention, culminating in her being brought to court in leg chains, handcuffs, and arm “It has been an honor to work with the dedicated pro bono team from Mintz. As an asylum seeker, our client was amongst the most vulnerable and most in need, fearing deportation to a country where she would be killed for her sexual orientation and political activism. Now, thanks to the amazing work of the Mintz team, she can rebuild her life in the United States in safety and free from the fear she had. We are very lucky to have this great and long-standing partnership with Mintz—a partnership that means the world to the clients we serve.” Elena Noureddine Staff Attorney PAIR Project (continued)