The Berkeley Law Chapter of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is one of our UC Berkeley Law’s Pro Bono Program’s Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS). IRAP students work with pro bono attorneys, IRAP Headquarters, and IRAP chapters across the United States and Canada to advance legal pathways to safety for refugees and other displaced people. They do so through a variety of means such as supporting cases directly, contributing to litigation matters and novel research, and working on policy advocacy. Through IRAP, students develop legal research, policy advocacy, and client communication skills.
This year, students engaged in both direct client services and substantive research and policy work through our expanded partnerships with the Afghan-American Foundation (AAF), and Project ANAR. Students are staffing asylum and legal aid workshops for asylum applicants and conducting research to analyze the trends and risks faced by Afghans to develop policy recommendations and community resources. In response to the change in administration and urgent crisis facing immigrants and refugees, this work is even more important.
This 2024-2025 academic year, the IRAP Berkeley Law team is 36 law students strong! The students have logged 826 pro bono hours of work thus far. We are inspired by their extraordinary commitment.
Student Anecdotes:
Susan Naseri ’26 shared, “In 1989, my father was the first in my family to flee Afghanistan and seek asylum abroad. Dozens of my relatives have since fled, in 1996, 2015 and 2021. The refugee phenomenon is deeply embedded in who I am, and I am committed to aiding this population throughout my career.
During its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States abandoned thousands of Afghan allies who were granted Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). Two years later when I began my studies at UC Berkeley Law, thousands of Afghan SIVs still desperately awaited evacuation and Afghan parolees in the U.S. struggled in a legal limbo without pathways to permanent residence. Looking for an opportunity to service and advocate for these asylum seekers and refugees, I joined IRAP Berkeley in my first semester. In light of extraordinary need and harsher refugee policy, my co-leaders and I expanded IRAP Berkeley from 4 members to 40 and have created partnerships with local community organizations.
As the Biden administration failed to extend Temporary Protected Status for Afghans and the Trump administration suspended USRAP, Afghans were once again abandoned by the United States government. Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees and their families who had been approved for travel and resettlement, many of whom have been waiting for years in a third country, received notice of cancelled flights and that no new travel bookings will be made. In the face of such cruel policy and injustice, IRAP Berkeley adapts to community needs and provides direct legal aid to clients using trauma-informed practices. It has been an incredible honor to mobilize such passionate students who are committed to refugee advocacy while also serving my community.”
Another student expressed, “During my time at IRAP, I worked as an interpreter, assisting legal immigrants in navigating legal processes by providing accurate translations for client meetings and legal documents. What drew me to IRAP was its mission to advocate for displaced individuals and ensure they receive the legal protections they deserve. As someone passionate about access to justice, I wanted to use my language skills to support these vulnerable communities in their pursuit of safety and stability. IRAP here provided me with a meaningful opportunity to help individuals gain access to justice and build a more secure future.”
Students Travel to engage with IRAP beyond the law school:
Berkeley Law Student, Isabella A. Mauceri ’27, traveled to New York City to attend the IRAP Chapter Leaders Annual Student Summit. “Since I was a high schooler reading about the Syrian Civil War, I’ve been in awe of the strength and resilience of refugees and displaced people. I was deeply impacted by the stories of families who were forced to flee homes they’ve always known in search of safety. This desire to support displaced individuals sparked my interest in immigration law and refugee rights, leading to an internship with the International Rescue Committee and pro bono work on asylum cases at my previous firm. I joined IRAP because I wanted to continue advocating for refugee rights throughout law school so that regardless of where my legal career takes me, I continue to remain connected to my community by providing legal aid to people in need. I was eager to attend the IRAP Student Summit to gain tools and knowledge about how to improve client-facing services and to better understand how the immigration legal landscape will change during the second Trump administration. The conference served as a powerful reminder of the impact effective legal services can have on the lives of immigrant and refugee communities across the United States and beyond.” Isabella met with Berkeley Law alum, Mary Dahdouh Ghandour ’18, who in her law student years co-led IRAP and is currently a Berkeley Law IRAP supervising attorney.
Berkeley Law Student, Rye Flores ’27, traveled to El Paso, Texas to attend IRAP advocacy efforts in the region. Rye reflected, “Getting to join IRAP’s trip to the US-Mexico Border and work with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center was an unparalleled eye-opening and humbling opportunity to experience the realities of immigration law on the border. Working with IRAP and Las Americas showed me the high levels of collaboration, empathy, and listening required in order to effectively serve the legal needs of diverse migrants and asylum seekers at the border and within the US. IRAP and Las Americas were incredibly welcoming and supportive, and provided us students with excellent leadership and coaching in a rapidly changing area of law and policy. The experience of taking intakes at a detention facility made clear how high the stakes are for peoples’ lives, and emphasized the importance of having access to affordable, skilled legal representation. I took many invaluable lessons from the experience. One lesson in particular stuck with me: respect, communication, curiosity, and community-mindedness are critical when working with clients in immigration law. I am very grateful to IRAP and Las Americas for making this experience possible, and for their ceaseless and critical work in advocating for migrant rights.”
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The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is one of UC Berkeley Law’s Pro Bono Program Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS). Click to read more about Berkeley Law’s Student-Initiated Legal Services Project, and other enriching pro bono opportunities.
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