Malik's Page
Meet Malik, and listen to his story...
Malik Jarno is a young Guinean who immigrated to the US at the age of 15, seeking asylum from the murder of his family, and the systematic destruction of his neighborhood, Kaporo Rails. At the age of 12, his home was destroyed by the military, and his parents sent Malik to safety just before they were captured. This threat to his life and freedom came during a government sponsored purging of his tribesmen and neighbors, because of a difference in political opinion with the military led government of Guinea.
After a few years of living with his extended family, exiled in Belgium and Paris, they put him on a plane, and sent him to the US with false papers and the promise of new life. Customs Officials picked him up at Dulles Airport. They did not know what to do with this young man, who spoke no English and could not convey his need.
Instead of seeking help with interpreting his story and entering him into the process of resettlement, they told the 15 year old that they were taking him to a hotel (so that he would come along), and they proceeded to drive him to a prison outside of Washington, D.C. This child spent the next three and a half years struggling in the general population of three different prisons. Without family, a legal advocate, or anyone to hear his story in his native language, he was lost in our prison system. Eventually he was sent to York County Prison in Pennsylvania, where lawyers and the aid workers at the International Friendship House (a resettlement home for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers) found him, and secured his release.
Malik received pro-bono legal counsel, Malik and suffered through convoluted Immigration hearings (the longest and most voluminous in Immigration history), where he was forced to recall gruesome details of his family's persecution, details which no frightened adult would be able to recall, much less a teenager 8 years after the fact, all in a language not his own. Even after witnesses from his homeland testified to the life of homelessness, imprisonment, and persecution that would await his return, the Immigration Courts denied his asylum, presumably because of his false papers. Such an injustice is made even more painful when you consider the fact that, as a child, Malik had no control over the path of immigration that his family members chose for him.
Yet, after a couple of years of advocacy by friends and his pro-bono lawyers, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, 8th) heard his story, and courageously sponsored a bill for his permanent residency. This bill was H.R. 2040, and was backed by over 70 Members of Congress. Thankfully, almost a decade after Malik's ordeal began, several new witnesses were able to come forward, gave the testimony that overturned the original denial, and led to the granting of Malik's full asylum. Thanks to his pro-bono legal team, countless advocates and supporters, willing witnesses, and all who were not afraid to pursue justice, Malik is now free.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
After a few years of living with his extended family, exiled in Belgium and Paris, they put him on a plane, and sent him to the US with false papers and the promise of new life. Customs Officials picked him up at Dulles Airport. They did not know what to do with this young man, who spoke no English and could not convey his need.
Instead of seeking help with interpreting his story and entering him into the process of resettlement, they told the 15 year old that they were taking him to a hotel (so that he would come along), and they proceeded to drive him to a prison outside of Washington, D.C. This child spent the next three and a half years struggling in the general population of three different prisons. Without family, a legal advocate, or anyone to hear his story in his native language, he was lost in our prison system. Eventually he was sent to York County Prison in Pennsylvania, where lawyers and the aid workers at the International Friendship House (a resettlement home for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers) found him, and secured his release.
Malik received pro-bono legal counsel, Malik and suffered through convoluted Immigration hearings (the longest and most voluminous in Immigration history), where he was forced to recall gruesome details of his family's persecution, details which no frightened adult would be able to recall, much less a teenager 8 years after the fact, all in a language not his own. Even after witnesses from his homeland testified to the life of homelessness, imprisonment, and persecution that would await his return, the Immigration Courts denied his asylum, presumably because of his false papers. Such an injustice is made even more painful when you consider the fact that, as a child, Malik had no control over the path of immigration that his family members chose for him.
Yet, after a couple of years of advocacy by friends and his pro-bono lawyers, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, 8th) heard his story, and courageously sponsored a bill for his permanent residency. This bill was H.R. 2040, and was backed by over 70 Members of Congress. Thankfully, almost a decade after Malik's ordeal began, several new witnesses were able to come forward, gave the testimony that overturned the original denial, and led to the granting of Malik's full asylum. Thanks to his pro-bono legal team, countless advocates and supporters, willing witnesses, and all who were not afraid to pursue justice, Malik is now free.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
After a few years of living with his extended family, exiled in Belgium and Paris, they put him on a plane, and sent him to the US with false papers and the promise of new life. Customs Officials picked him up at Dulles Airport. They did not know what to do with this young man, who spoke no English and could not convey his need.
Instead of seeking help with interpreting his story and entering him into the process of resettlement, they told the 15 year old that they were taking him to a hotel (so that he would come along), and they proceeded to drive him to a prison outside of Washington, D.C. This child spent the next three and a half years struggling in the general population of three different prisons. Without family, a legal advocate, or anyone to hear his story in his native language, he was lost in our prison system. Eventually he was sent to York County Prison in Pennsylvania, where lawyers and the aid workers at the International Friendship House (a resettlement home for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers) found him, and secured his release.
Malik received pro-bono legal counsel, Malik and suffered through convoluted Immigration hearings (the longest and most voluminous in Immigration history), where he was forced to recall gruesome details of his family's persecution, details which no frightened adult would be able to recall, much less a teenager 8 years after the fact, all in a language not his own. Even after witnesses from his homeland testified to the life of homelessness, imprisonment, and persecution that would await his return, the Immigration Courts denied his asylum, presumably because of his false papers. Such an injustice is made even more painful when you consider the fact that, as a child, Malik had no control over the path of immigration that his family members chose for him.
Yet, after a couple of years of advocacy by friends and his pro-bono lawyers, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, 8th) heard his story, and courageously sponsored a bill for his permanent residency. This bill was H.R. 2040, and was backed by over 70 Members of Congress. Thankfully, almost a decade after Malik's ordeal began, several new witnesses were able to come forward, gave the testimony that overturned the original denial, and led to the granting of Malik's full asylum. Thanks to his pro-bono legal team, countless advocates and supporters, willing witnesses, and all who were not afraid to pursue justice, Malik is now free.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
Instead of seeking help with interpreting his story and entering him into the process of resettlement, they told the 15 year old that they were taking him to a hotel (so that he would come along), and they proceeded to drive him to a prison outside of Washington, D.C. This child spent the next three and a half years struggling in the general population of three different prisons. Without family, a legal advocate, or anyone to hear his story in his native language, he was lost in our prison system. Eventually he was sent to York County Prison in Pennsylvania, where lawyers and the aid workers at the International Friendship House (a resettlement home for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers) found him, and secured his release.
Malik received pro-bono legal counsel, Malik and suffered through convoluted Immigration hearings (the longest and most voluminous in Immigration history), where he was forced to recall gruesome details of his family's persecution, details which no frightened adult would be able to recall, much less a teenager 8 years after the fact, all in a language not his own. Even after witnesses from his homeland testified to the life of homelessness, imprisonment, and persecution that would await his return, the Immigration Courts denied his asylum, presumably because of his false papers. Such an injustice is made even more painful when you consider the fact that, as a child, Malik had no control over the path of immigration that his family members chose for him.
Yet, after a couple of years of advocacy by friends and his pro-bono lawyers, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, 8th) heard his story, and courageously sponsored a bill for his permanent residency. This bill was H.R. 2040, and was backed by over 70 Members of Congress. Thankfully, almost a decade after Malik's ordeal began, several new witnesses were able to come forward, gave the testimony that overturned the original denial, and led to the granting of Malik's full asylum. Thanks to his pro-bono legal team, countless advocates and supporters, willing witnesses, and all who were not afraid to pursue justice, Malik is now free.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
Instead of seeking help with interpreting his story and entering him into the process of resettlement, they told the 15 year old that they were taking him to a hotel (so that he would come along), and they proceeded to drive him to a prison outside of Washington, D.C. This child spent the next three and a half years struggling in the general population of three different prisons. Without family, a legal advocate, or anyone to hear his story in his native language, he was lost in our prison system. Eventually he was sent to York County Prison in Pennsylvania, where lawyers and the aid workers at the International Friendship House (a resettlement home for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers) found him, and secured his release.
Malik received pro-bono legal counsel, Malik and suffered through convoluted Immigration hearings (the longest and most voluminous in Immigration history), where he was forced to recall gruesome details of his family's persecution, details which no frightened adult would be able to recall, much less a teenager 8 years after the fact, all in a language not his own. Even after witnesses from his homeland testified to the life of homelessness, imprisonment, and persecution that would await his return, the Immigration Courts denied his asylum, presumably because of his false papers. Such an injustice is made even more painful when you consider the fact that, as a child, Malik had no control over the path of immigration that his family members chose for him.
Yet, after a couple of years of advocacy by friends and his pro-bono lawyers, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, 8th) heard his story, and courageously sponsored a bill for his permanent residency. This bill was H.R. 2040, and was backed by over 70 Members of Congress. Thankfully, almost a decade after Malik's ordeal began, several new witnesses were able to come forward, gave the testimony that overturned the original denial, and led to the granting of Malik's full asylum. Thanks to his pro-bono legal team, countless advocates and supporters, willing witnesses, and all who were not afraid to pursue justice, Malik is now free.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
Malik received pro-bono legal counsel, Malik and suffered through convoluted Immigration hearings (the longest and most voluminous in Immigration history), where he was forced to recall gruesome details of his family's persecution, details which no frightened adult would be able to recall, much less a teenager 8 years after the fact, all in a language not his own. Even after witnesses from his homeland testified to the life of homelessness, imprisonment, and persecution that would await his return, the Immigration Courts denied his asylum, presumably because of his false papers. Such an injustice is made even more painful when you consider the fact that, as a child, Malik had no control over the path of immigration that his family members chose for him.
Yet, after a couple of years of advocacy by friends and his pro-bono lawyers, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, 8th) heard his story, and courageously sponsored a bill for his permanent residency. This bill was H.R. 2040, and was backed by over 70 Members of Congress. Thankfully, almost a decade after Malik's ordeal began, several new witnesses were able to come forward, gave the testimony that overturned the original denial, and led to the granting of Malik's full asylum. Thanks to his pro-bono legal team, countless advocates and supporters, willing witnesses, and all who were not afraid to pursue justice, Malik is now free.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
Yet, after a couple of years of advocacy by friends and his pro-bono lawyers, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, 8th) heard his story, and courageously sponsored a bill for his permanent residency. This bill was H.R. 2040, and was backed by over 70 Members of Congress. Thankfully, almost a decade after Malik's ordeal began, several new witnesses were able to come forward, gave the testimony that overturned the original denial, and led to the granting of Malik's full asylum. Thanks to his pro-bono legal team, countless advocates and supporters, willing witnesses, and all who were not afraid to pursue justice, Malik is now free.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
I served as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, located in Baltimore. It is an organization that strives to welcome the stranger, serve the most vulnerable in our society, advocate for comprehensive care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers, and educate about the root causes of displaced people around the world.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
In my work with LIRS, I have been faced with the reality that Malik's case, while extraordinary, is not unique. Detention Watch estimates that on any given day, there are 22,000 Asylum Seekers in our prisons. We are not sure how many thousands are children, many of whom are unaccompanied just like Malik - waiting for someone to speak up for them. Yes, this does happen in our country...not because people are hurtful, but because our Immigration System is not equipped to handle the special needs of children, and families that are seeking Asylum in our country. We are still learning so much about their lives, and how we should care for them with dignity and yes...love.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
If you would like to join your voice in support of unaccompanied refugee children like Malik, and the comprehensive reform of our Immigration System, please use the tools and resources on this web site - explore the links, make comments, send the sample letters to your Representatives, and send me emails to stay in touch. These children need us. And while you may not feel that you have much to give, you have a voice. And they need you to speak up.
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A message from Malik...
Hear a message of hope from Malik, as he shares his thanks with the gathering of ELCA Lutherans at the 2005 Global Mission Event in Baltimore.