Sewage spills foul San Francisco Bay over and over
By Jason Dearen, Associated Press – February 28

Last weekend, 890,000 gallons of raw sewage and stormwater spilled into San Francisco Bay from an overloaded World War II-era treatment plant. Five days earlier, a ruptured pipe released 400,000 gallons of filth into the bay. And those were just the big spills the public heard about. On average, human waste spills into the San Francisco Bay more than five times a day, fouling the waters and shorelines of this environmental jewel and recreational treasure. "It's like living in a situation sort of like a Third World country, where there's poor sanitary management," said [Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Sejal Choksi of the environmental group San Francisco Baykeeper.

Conflicting accounts of an ICE raid in Md.
By N.C. Aizenman, Washington Post – February 24

Justin Cox, an attorney with CASA of Maryland, an immigrant rights group representing some of the detained men in both a civil claim and in immigration court, said ICE's response to the arrests has been inadequate. Cox and [Equal Justice Works Fellow] Michelle Mendez, his co-counsel at CASA of Maryland, said the events call into question whether the officers overstepped their authority. Although law enforcement officers can question anyone who speaks to them voluntarily, Cox and Mendez said, they cannot legally detain someone without reasonable suspicion. The CASA of Maryland lawyers argued that ICE's investigation summary contradicts the initial testimony of some of the officers that they sought to arrest only those who had freely admitted to them that they were in the country illegally.

The Outsider
By Phuong Ly, Washington Post – February 25

A day after the Gomezes arrived at the detention center, [Equal Justice Works Alumna and] lawyer Kelleen Corrigan was there to talk to a group of detained women about their rights during court proceedings. When she finished, one of the women shyly approached. It was Liliana. In tears, she told Corrigan about her sons, their school awards and hopes for higher education. Corrigan, who worked for the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, was intrigued, but she didn't make any promises. When Corrigan got back to her office, the center's executive director, Cheryl Little, mentioned that a local business leader had asked her to look into the case of a family with an honors student. Later that day, Corrigan and Little heard a report on the news: A group of Killian high school students were trying to free their friend, Juan Gomez, from the Broward detention center.

Family caregivers may soon be protected from workplace discrimination
By Christine Lin, Epoch Times – February 14

Two million people in New York City must take time off work to care for family members. To make sure that they do not unfairly suffer retaliation from their employers, New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum has introduced the Caregiver Bill. In a statement, Phoebe Taubman, Equal Justice Works Fellow at A Better Balance said, "Every day workers in New York City lose jobs or suffer retaliation because they need to care for a family member. Especially during this economic downturn, no one should have their economic security threatened because of their family responsibilities. It is time to make clear that discrimination based on family responsibilities will not be tolerated in our workplaces."

South Dakota only state to lack AmeriCorps office
By Sarah Paulus, Vollante – February 4

Carrie Henrichsen is an AmeriCorps volunteer at USD, through Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps’ partnership with South Dakota’s Access to Justice. She works at the USD School of Law to connect law students with potential clients in need of pro-bono work. There are 35 legal fellows who work for AmeriCorps, Henrichsen said, although AmeriCorps is looking to expand that number. Two work in South Dakota through Access to Justice, herself and another lawyer in Rapid City. Henrichsen is the first Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps legal fellow at USD, and she will be here through June, when another person will fill the position.

She finally finds a safe haven
By Karen Lee Ziner, Providence Journal – February 3

Maira Farfan, who was among 31 janitors arrested during courthouse immigration raids last July, has now been granted asylum based on fear that her husband might kill her, or have her tracked down and killed if she returned home. [Equal Justice Works Fellow] Andrea A. Saenz, a lawyer with the PAIR Project (Political Asylum/Immigration Representation) in Boston, represented Farfan at a Jan. 23 hearing. Saenz said medical records, a social worker’s testimony and letters stating Farfan’s husband had ties to former members of paramilitary organizations who could track her down, persuaded immigration Judge Francis L. Cramer that Farfan would be in peril if she were deported.