Our legal team is here to help you break down barriers and achieve improved health and wellness. We work with patients, people living with
HIV, and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer communities.
URGENT Immigration Practice Alert and WWH Pro Bono Webinar on 8/7: Impact of new Work Permit Regulations on LGBTQ Asylum-Seekers
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published two final rules effective 8/21/2020 and 8/25/2020 that severely restrict employment authorization eligibility and processing for asylum-seekers. While many of the provisions will affect only asylum applications filed after 8/25/2020, some provisions will affect future EADs for individuals who already have asylum applications pending. It is important to understand the implications of the new rules and attempt to mitigate negative consequences depending on the status of your client’s asylum case. Join us for the below webinar on Friday, August 7, 2020 at 11:00am to find out more about how each of these provisions may affect existing or future LGBTQ clients pursuing asylum claims.
WWH Pro Bono Webinar: Impact of new Work Permit Regulations on LGBTQ Asylum-Seekers
- Date: Friday, August 7, 2020
- Time: 11:00am to 12:00pm
- Register HERE! After
registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on joining the webinar.
- Summary: Two new DHS rules going into effect in August 2020 impose severe new restrictions to employment authorization
eligibility that will make it impossible for many asylum-seekers to obtain a category C8 employment authorization document
(EAD) during the several years they may be waiting for an asylum decision. Although most provisions will affect only asylum
applications filed after 8/25/2020, some provisions may affect future EAD applications for people who have already filed
for asylum. In this webinar, we will provide an overview of the impact and effective date of the new regulations, advice
for clients with pending applications, info on pending litigation challenges, and tips for avoiding USCIS form rejections
to get receipted before the effective date. Some of the most problematic new restrictions include:
- Barring EADs to applicants who file for asylum outside of the 1-year filing deadline after 8/25 (except unaccompanied minors)
- Barring EADs to applicants who entered the U.S. without inspection after 8/25
- Expanding the criminal bars to C8 EAD eligibility beyond aggravated felony convictions, to now also include barring all
future C8 EADs if applicant has a conviction after 8/25 for: DUIs, domestic violence or assault, child abuse or neglect,
possession or distribution of controlled substances, any felony in the U.S., a “particularly serious crime” in the
U.S., or a serious non-political crime outside the U.S.
- Extending EAD waiting period from 150 days to 365 days after filing for asylum for any initial I-765s filed after 8/25
- Eliminating C11 EADs for individuals paroled from immigration detention after passing a CFI
- Denise Hunter, Senior Staff Attorney, Whitman-Walker Health Legal Services
- Anne Schaufele, Practitioner-in-Residence, International Human Rights Law Clinic, American University,
Washington College of Law
We can help with health insurance issues, work disputes, discrimination, disability applications and appeals, public benefits appeals
(ADAP, Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP/Food Stamps, TANF), immigration matters, powers of attorney and wills, elder issues, and identity
documents for trans and gender expansive clients, among other problems.
Our full offering of services include:
We offer several free legal clinics each month. Please contact us for more information about becoming a client or volunteer.
If you are facing any of the legal issues described above, call our Legal Services program at 202.939.7630 or email us at contact-legal@whitman-walker.org
Our staff will conduct a telephone interview. Then, we will review your case to determine how we can assist you. Walk-in appointments
are also available at LIZ, Whitman-Walker at 1525 and Max Robinson Center, Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
If you are interested in volunteering as a college student, law student, or licensed attorney, please fill out our Volunteer Form. We are especially in need of Spanish-speaking volunteers
Meet our Legal Services Staff
JDavis-Ricci
Jess Davis-Ricci
Title: Staff Attorney
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.797.3591
Email: jdavis-ricci@whitman-walker.org
EDeray
Erica Deray
Title: Supervising Attorney
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.939.7691
Email: ederay@whitman-walker.org
SGuevara
Sheyla Guevara
Title: Legal Services Navigator
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.797.3549
Email: sguevara@whitman-walker.org
LHicks
Lee Hicks
Title: Legal Services Operations Manager
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.939.7627
Email: lhicks@whitman-walker.org
DHunter
Denise Hunter
Title: Staff Attorney-Immigration
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.797.4414
Email: dhunter@whitman-walker.org
ELoubier
Erin Loubier
Title: Senior Director for Health and Legal Integration & Payment Innovation
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.939.7662
Email: eloubier@whitman-walker.org
ANelson
Amy Nelson
Title: Director of Legal Services
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.939.7625
Email: anelson@whitman-walker.org
MScheel
Murray Scheel
Title: Senior Staff Attorney
Pronouns: He-Him-His
Phone: 202.939.7695
Email: mscheel@whitman-walker.org
LSuarez
Leonor Suarez
Title: Legal Services Intake Coordinator II
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.939.7630
Email: lsuarez@whitman-walker.org
KSzabo
Krisztina Szabo
Title: Staff Attorney
Pronouns: She-Her-Hers
Phone: 202.939.7676
Email: kszabo@whitman-walker.org
