WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2020 – Baker Botts L.L.P., a leading international law firm, announced today that the firm successfully represented a woman from Ethiopia in asylum proceedings based on ethnic and religious persecution before Immigration Judge Deepali Nadkarni in Arlington Immigration Court.

The client, now 29 years old, is an Orthodox Christian and identifies as an Amhara, one of many national ethnicities in Ethiopia. The client was physically assaulted, stoned, and threatened with death, among other things, because of her ethnic and religious affiliations. She suffered severe emotional and psychological trauma from her persecution. Her fear of future persecution caused her to flee to the United States in December 2019. She was detained upon arrival at Washington Dulles Airport and was transferred to the Caroline Detention Center outside of Richmond, Virginia, where she was held awaiting her hearing in Arlington Immigration Court.

Baker Botts assisted the client in applying for asylum, conducting multiple interviews of the client, working with witnesses in Ethiopia to develop a nearly 1000-page evidentiary record, drafting a brief in support of the asylum application, retaining and working with two experts to draft supporting reports on the country conditions in Ethiopia and the client’s mental health, preparing the client for her hearing, and trying the case on April 30, 2020 before Judge Nadkarni—one of the toughest judges on the court according to case statistics.

The team tried the case in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency, which posed considerable challenges, including preparing the client for direct and cross examination using limited 20-minute phone calls from the ICE detention center and conducting one of the few nationwide in-person hearings during the height of the crisis while maintaining social distancing requirements. Judge Nadkarni granted asylum on June 17, 2020, and the government waived its right to appeal. The client was released on June 20, 2020.

The grant of asylum in this case resulted from an incredible team effort and showcased the talent of Baker Botts’ associates, who first-chaired the trial. The team included partner Katharine Burke and associates Chris Hong, Matt Welch, and Lauren Dreyer.

Baker Botts obtained the case through Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (CAIR), which partners with law firms and other organizations in the Washington, D.C. region to represent immigrants who are at risk of detention and deportation.

Learn more about Baker Botts’ Pro Bono practice here.

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Baker Botts is an international law firm whose lawyers practice throughout a network of offices around the globe. Based on our experience and knowledge of our clients' industries, we are recognized as a leading firm in the energy, technology and life sciences sectors. Since 1840, we have provided creative and effective legal solutions for our clients while demonstrating an unrelenting commitment to excellence. For more information, please visit bakerbotts.com.