October 17, 2011 – Citizen of Togo received Reopening from the Board of Immigration Appeals

Facts: In 2001, a citizen of Togo came to the United States and applied for asylum, which was denied. In 2010, he tried to get his case reopened and sought assistance from a local law firm in another state. The prior law firm filed a motion to reopen, which was summarily denied. Then, the prior law firm filed a second motion, which was also denied. After the second denial, the citizen of Togo was distraught, depressed, and ready to give up. Instead of giving up, he sought the firm’s help.

The Firm’s Representation: The firm reviewed our client’s case and saw that his previous law firm had made several egregious mistakes in their motions. The previous law firm had asserted that our client was eligible for relief, but for the wrong reasons. The firm re-filed a motion to reconsider asserting that our client’s case should have been reopened based on a different theory of law. The firm asked the Board of Immigration Appeals not to penalize our client for the sins of his previous counsel.

Outcome: On October 17, 2011 the Board of Immigration Appeals granted the motion to reopen. Our client is now free to adjust status in the Immigration Court and finally after over 10 years, get his green card. Our client’s case is now pending before the Immigration Court and USCIS.