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AI Justice Supervising Attorney Catherine Walker is honored to have worked with Jean Paul to secure his release from immigration detention.
Born and raised in Haiti, Jean Paul dreamed of becoming a lawyer. After graduating from the École de Droit et des Sciences Economiques des Gonaïves (EDSEG), as he was preparing to apply to law school, armed bandits kidnapped him and subjected him to atrocities for several days and threatened to kill him if he did not pay a ransom. He was released after five days, but the threats continued, forcing him into hiding for his life. With no other choice, Jean Paul left everything he knew to seek safety in the United States. “I thought that when I arrived on American soil, I would be safe. But that is not what happened,” said Jean Paul. |
Jean Paul was immediately detained by ICE upon his arrival. He experienced brutal conditions within the detention facility, faced systemic racism, and was denied essential needs and services. “It was as if I escaped one nightmare only to enter another.”
“But I was one of the lucky ones,” Jean Paul continued. “I had a pro bono lawyer who fought for me, who believed that my life was worth saving. When I told them my story, they took on my case with all their heart, giving me hope and strength not to give up. They didn’t just see me as another case; they saw me as a human being. When I had suicidal thoughts, I thought of them, of their work that aligned with my own dreams, and I found courage. Thanks to them, I was able to get out of detention and start rebuilding my life.”
Jean Paul inspires us to continue fighting to protect the rights of all people navigating the immigration system.