Fordham Law Stein Scholars graduate Leena Khandwala ‘04, an immigration attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services, was featured in a New York Times article.
Ms. Morris, who came here when she was 16, got a green card as a victim of domestic abuse by a United States citizen spouse, her lawyer said. She had given birth to twins a month before serving her criminal sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Upon release, she was taken directly to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and faced deportation. Her lawyer from the Brooklyn Defender Services, Leena Khandwala, secured a bond hearing for Ms. Morris, who was released from immigration detention two weeks ago; her children’s welfare and her not being a flight risk factored into her release.
“Without her, I don’t know where I would be,” Ms. Morris said about Ms. Khandwala. Ms. Morris’s children range in age from 1 to 9. “It’s a big relief. It means I get to be home with my babies.”
Having a lawyer in such cases is critical, Ms. Khandwala said. If a client is detained, there is very little time and opportunity to work with a lawyer before seeing an immigration judge. Cases are usually closed in four to five months. If a client has been released, a case can extend for two to three years.