Does U.S. Asylum Law Really Exist? The Reality of Those Living on the Margins of the U.S.-Mexican Border – with Nicole Ramos from Al Otro Lado
Join Clark Hill’s Angeline Chen, a leading immigration attorney, in discussing the impacts of US immigration law and policy. On Immigration Today!, Angeline interviews leaders, experts, advocates, and volunteers in immigration and immigrant rights on the issues, their experiences, and their advice on how YOU can make a difference.

On this episode, we are pleased to have Nicole Ramos, Director of Al Otro Lado. Al Otro Lado is a binational non-profit organization providing holistic legal and humanitarian support to indigent refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the U.S. and Tijuana through a multidisciplinary, client-centered, harm reduction-based practice. Nicole Ramos fiercely advocates for immigrants at the border by helping asylum seekers in Tijuana, Mexico who wish to present themselves to immigration authorities. She is incredibly brave and fearless – not only is she constantly in front of the U.S. government challenging the practice of turning away asylum seekers at the border – but she is also equipping these families with the knowledge needed to advocate for themselves. Nicole is also an Adjunct Professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law and lectures extensively at universities, law schools, and professional conferences throughout the United States and Mexico regarding the impact of border enforcement practices and policies on asylum seekers. 

She talks about the impact of the Migrant Protection Program (MPP), Title 42, the reality many unaccompanied minors face, and the lack of basic human aid provided to these refugees. Her work is complex and groundbreaking – Al Otro Lado is assuring that asylum seekers can meet their needs with dignity. 
“I did death penalty work when I was in Alabama and it would be inconceivable to have people go to defend their lives before a giant without the representation of an attorney…but that’s exactly what the US government is telling people to do. Defend your life, prove that you are right and that your life is worth saving and then you can get your asylum… but those are very hard things to do and what’s happening is that our government is deporting tens of thousands of people each year back to their death.”
achen@clarkhill.com
Nicole Ramos
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