Week 1
This week I started my summer internship with GAIN. On Monday, as a fun way to meet the team, we all visited a local goat farm run by a friend of one of the GAIN staff. There were a lot of very cute young goats, and they were very excited to meet us (or at least they were excited about getting to snack on skirts and Apple watches). One of the baby goats we met was only a few hours old. We didn't get to try any of the cheese the farm makes on site, but I am already planning a trip to the farmer's market to buy some.
On Tuesday, I went to the office for my first real day. One of the important parts of an asylum case is the country conditions report, which contains information that supports the client's claims that they have a credible fear of persecution for being part of a specific group if they are deported to their home country. I researched two countries, Afghanistan and Honduras.
On Wednesday, I got to go with the legal team to immigration court for an asylum hearing. It was really neat to see the lawyers in action. Most importantly, their client was granted asylum, which is often far from guaranteed. It was humbling to listen to the client's testimony of what she had faced in her home country and what had driven her to come the United States. I was grateful to the team for letting me get to watch, since seeing how all the work comes together for a successful asylum claim was a great way to frame all of the work that the interns will be doing over the next few months. I am very excited to be a part of the GAIN team this summer and help these incredibly courageous and deserving people find safety and opportunity here in the United States.