In 2021, Guinean refugee Lamarana Barry came to Immigration Law & Justice seeking asylum. Senior Attorney Kourtney James was assigned to his case and worked tirelessly to ensure Barry was treated fairly and efficiently, even successfully terminating a removal defense case that was presented to Barry shortly after his arrival to the United States.
In 2023, James and ILJ-MI were able to successfully obtain employment authorization for Barry but the looming uncertainty of obtaining lawful residence was still an ongoing concern for Barry. In 2024, James and ILJ-MI submitted his permanent residence application. While this process can take years for some applicants, Barry’s application was received and approved in just 11 months.
Last week Barry, now a Lansing area resident, received his green card officially making him a lawful resident! ILJ-MI would like to honor Barry for his perseverance and dedication and also continue to praise the tireless efforts of our staff members like Kourtney James who contributed an enormous amount of time and effort to make sure Barry has safety, security, and peace of mind.
Barry recently sent ILJ-MI a generous donation in hopes of supporting other immigrants and refugees seeking asylum like he was when he came to us in 2021. We’d like to thank Barry for his generous donation as well as wish him the best in his life journey going forward as a lawful resident.