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January 2021
Remembering and Forgiving
Come Alive With Us in 2021
Ask anyone at New Frontier Immigration Law, and they can tell you about Vision Fridays. But this year, we’re bringing our intentional vision to the public because you are a crucial part of the work we do. For 2021, our vision is to come alive, and we have two words guiding us in that vision: remembering and forgiving. They aren’t just words — or rather, they’re words whose literal meanings often go unexplored. But when we take the time to look at what these two words mean, we find a wealth of information and guidance, which gives us strength and reminds us why we do this work. Take “remembering,” which has two parts. “Re” means a return or a repetition of past action. “Member” refers to a part of a greater whole. To “re-member” is to bring a disparate part back into the fold. We often speak of this in terms of memory: to take something from our past and introduce it once more into our consciousness through the magic of memory. But what power that word gives our memory. To “re-member” something is to literally bring back the past and make ourselves whole, which many people would consider impossible. But is it impossible? Just look at the word we use to describe the act. There are other ways to use this word. The work our firm does is literal “re-membering” in many ways. We ask you to remember your own history and dig into the bravery and tenacity that brought you to this country, whether you came here yourself or are descended from someone who did. But we also literally “re-member” families in our work by bringing family members together who have been separated by time, distance, and an arbitrary border that so often tears loved ones apart. “Forgiving” is our second guiding word — one that will help us “come alive” as we grow to understand it. Again, there are two
pieces. Like the “re” in “remember,” “for” indicates direction and intention, but it can also designate an intendee — someone to whom you are sending or giving something. The second part of the word is “give,” and that’s the gift of it all. To “give” is to act selflessly in the service of others and can refer to actions big and small. When you pull this word apart, it contains everything that life is about. “For-giving” means that you give yourself the memory of who you really are, again calling on the part of you that was brave and fierce and came here against all odds. It calls on the part of you that chooses to remain. That part is a gift that may have been passed down by your family, or it may be a gift you will pass down to your own children and grandchildren. So many of us are here living but not really alive. Many are living in fear of detainment, deportation, and separation from their family. “For-giving” applies to ourselves, to other people of all kinds, and to the world as a whole. With those two words, we can all come alive. We can remember ourselves and our families, and we can forgive ourselves for forgetting. We can find new ways to bring love and value to others, and we can show others that immigrants bring many gifts, from culture and economic prosperity to love and bravery in the face of communal tribulations.
Join us this year. Remember with us. Forgive with us. Never stop fighting for the future — yours, your children’s, and your community’s. And when that fight means the law, contact New Frontier Immigration Law and let us fight on your behalf.
–Hillary Walsh
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Say Hello to Oscar Flores Starting 2021 With New Frontier’s Legal Assistant
Just this past October, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to what can only be described as one the world’s goodest boys — a dog named Foxtrot, known also to his Instagram followers (of which there are nearly 7,000) as humanitarian_pup. While Foxtrot wasn’t responsible for improvements to auction theory (like Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson, who won the Nobel Prize for economics) or for a standout career in writing poetry (like Louise Glück, who won the Nobel Prize for literature), this incredible canine shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the World Food Programme (WFP), for their work in combating world hunger. As the organization’s official mascot, Foxtrot shared in the win with the thousands of other WFP workers worldwide. Foxtrot lives in Bangladesh (one of the most densely populated countries in the world) at a WFP outpost that works to supply one of the world’s largest refugee camps. According to an NPR article that spotlighted Foxtrot and the efforts made by his WFP humans, they worked not only to get food to refugees but also to flatten hillsides to make room for shelters for Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. Foxtrot himself became part of the effort to combat world hunger during a WFP beach cleanup in his home country. Workers found him as a 4-week-old pup, and after failing to locate his owners, took him in as one of their own. For the past two years, Foxtrot has helped however he can to further the WFP’s efforts to end hunger in Bangladesh. This usually includes accompanying his humans while they work, wearing an adorable custom-made WFP cape, and taking to Instagram to raise awareness about how anyone can join in the WFP’s mission. After learning that he and his humans had won the Nobel Peace Prize, Foxtrot didn’t waste the opportunity to share his excitement with his followers. “Woweee,” the pup said. “I … think it would be even more amazing if we didn’t need any peace prizes because peace was the status quo in our world.” If Foxtrot and his humans keep The First Dog to Win a Nobel Peace Prize Foxtrot’s Heroics With the World Food Programme
For legal assistant Oscar Flores, the kind of work we do has always been close to his heart. “Most of my family members have been through the same process as our clients
go through,” he says. “My parents came to the United States and went through the steps to become American citizens.” Although that started over 30 years ago, Oscar still remembers how proud they were to have succeeded — and he knows how important that success is to New Frontier’s clients, as well. His own road to our office is an interesting one. Oscar hadn’t done much work in the legal field before he started here last April. In fact, for years, he found his calling in education. “I was a bilingual teacher for seven years,” Oscar says. “Most of my students were 6–7 years old, so you can imagine how wild they were at times.” As if the age wasn’t trying enough, at times, Oscar found himself managing 40 kids at one time. His patience and skills in translation made him successful at that job, and those are the exact traits that allow Oscar to succeed in our office today. “Many of the people I talk to are dealing with a lot of challenges. I love what we do here — we help them actually change their lives.” It’s given him a new perspective on his own life, as well. “One of the things I like to do either right before or after work is take a walk,” Oscar says. “I’ll go for 15–30 minutes. When I do that, it makes me feel free, and I’ve learned never to take that for granted.” It’s true, many of our clients are incarcerated or detained, or under difficult circumstances and restrictions that stop them from working, moving freely, or even leaving detention centers. “I feel more introspective after working here. I learn a lot every day at work, and I’m more aware of what my family and others in my community have gone through. Above all, I feel free.” We’re glad to have such a thoughtful man working for us, and one who’s such a good, patient translator. Thank you, Oscar, for all the hard work you do. And thanks to all you readers for checking in — we appreciate you as well! Remember, if you need to “check in” with a legal issue, you should give New Frontier Immigration Law a call immediately.
up the good work that won them the Nobel Peace Prize, it seems like that status quo could be within reach.
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Lucy’s Story A Family Starts the New Year With Security, Stability PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT
He knew how important everything was, and he handled his responsibilities like an adult. Not too many children — or even grown-ups — can handle that kind of pressure. The safety and integrity of his family was at stake, and life had not given this young man an easy role. He was a great big brother to his little siblings and wonderful to work with. Lucy’s long journey ended in December when Green Cards for her husband arrived at our office right before Christmas. It was a gift for the entire family, and we had assumed it would take much longer! They’re starting this new year with a new status — and a new sense of security, too. “No longer do I have to worry about going to the supermarket and never coming back,” said her husband. Their family can get on with their lives and start cashing in on the dream that brought Lucy to America in the first place. If you’re ready to start taking steps like Lucy did, you need to reach out and get our help. We can’t promise the fast response time that they got, but there’s never been a better time to apply than today.
As many readers know, working your way toward immigration status is a waiting game. During that wait, you are vulnerable — not only because you may or may not be able to work, but also because it seems like any little thing could end your stay in the United States. When you have kids, the wait just seems longer, and the stakes seem higher. Fortunately, for New Frontier client Lucy and her own family, that long wait is finally over. They’re starting 2021 as new lawful permanent residents of the United States of America! Originally from Guadalajara, Lucy made her way to the United States like many people do, through bravery and hard work. Her spirit is inspiring, and our office was happy when she came to us to help with her immigration case. But we were also a little worried: Lucy had already naturalized, but her husband and their children did not have status. It was a very fragile situation, and we knew that tragedy could be just around the corner if everything was not handled correctly. It became clear Lucy had passed her own can-do attitude onto her children. Her oldest, a teenager, impressed us very much.
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INSIDE
‘Remembering’ and ‘Forgiving’ Are Not Just Words
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Spotlight on Oscar Flores The First Dog to Win a Nobel Peace Prize
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Client Story: Lucy
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‘The Bachelorette’ Contestants Go to Court
‘The Bachelorette’ Contestants Go to Court Judge, Will You Accept This Rose?
The reality TV show “The Bachelorette” is known for being packed with drama, but last year there was just as much scandal among
After years of back-and-forth, the case is finally moving forward. In July 2020, a judge ruled that all of Johnson’s accusations were proven except failure to hire. Upping the drama, Deadline reported that “no attorneys for Cimino or the studio participated in the hearing.” Meanwhile, another “Bachelorette” contestant, Luke Parker, has been ordered by the court to pay $100,000 for breach of contract. Parker, who vied for the affection of Hannah Brown in the 2019 season, has allegedly been making media appearances without the consent of the show’s production company, NZK Productions Inc. Each appearance was a breach of contract, and now he owes the company a pretty penny: $25,000 per appearance. According to Page Six, Parker might also be on the hook for bad-mouthing the show and/or sharing information about what happened on set — both things his contract forbids. Hopefully, the 2021 season of “The Bachelorette,” which should air later this year following the postponed 2020 season, will feature less drama than these real-life legal battles.
its contestants off-screen as there was while the cameras were rolling. Late in 2020, not one but two past “Bachelorette” contestants ended up in court. One of them was Chad Johnson, hailing from the group of hunks who competed for Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher’s attention in season 12. That season aired in 2016, but it wasn’t until two years later that Johnson sued Sunset Studios Entertainment and one of its executives, Cristina Cimino, for sexual harassment, failure to prevent harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud by intentional misrepresentation, and wrongful failure to hire in violation of public policy. According to Deadline, Cimino told Johnson she would help him get movie roles with her studio, but that never happened. Instead, she allegedly lured him into in-person meetings and bombarded him with inappropriate calls and text messages.
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