Pro Bono Success Stories

McCarter & English, LLP

Attorney at McCarter & English, LLP wins asylum for client after
3 ½ years in detention.

Attorney Arnold L. Natali of McCarter & English represented his client, Ibrahim Badrawi, for three and a half years in front of six different judges. On several occasions, Mr. Badrawi faced imminent deportation back to Algeria. Mr. Badrawi was persecuted in his home country for converting from Islam to Christianity. He was harassed and beaten by his family and neighbors. He fled his home in Algeria for the United States, and faced execution if he were returned. Upon his arrival in the United States, Mr. Badrawi was summarily detained at the Elizabeth Detention Center. Arnold was introduced to Mr. Badrawi through the pro bono asylum program of Human Rights First. Despite the efforts of Arnold, the case was denied at the Immigration Court level. They appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), which also denied Mr. Badrawi’s case. With Mr. Badrawi almost on his way back to Algeria, Arnold appealed to the Third Circuit of Appeals. In a rare turn-around, the Third Circuit found that the BIA ignored testimony by expert witnesses, and the BIA reversed its decision. When Mr. Badrawi was granted asylum and released from detention, both he and Arnold were ecstatic. Arnold recalls “It was the proudest moment of my professional life…it proves that someone with general litigation skills can successfully handle an immigration matter.”