Buffalo News discusses Borowski Witmer clients swept up in ICE enforcement despite no criminal background and pending court dates

The Buffalo News recently interviewed immigration lawyers Ryan Witmer and Matthew Borowski regarding recent ICE enforcement activity under Trump's leadership:

 An excerpt from the article: 

    Two Buffalo immigration attorneys raised questions about the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration on Friday, after saying their client was arrested and sent to an immigration detention facility despite having no record of violence or criminal activity.
Ryan Witmer, Immigration Attorney

    Attorneys Ryan L. Witmer and Matthew K. Borowski said their law firm’s client, an Ecuadorian man in his late 20s who is seeking asylum in the United States, was arrested Monday at his home on Buffalo’s East Side.

    According to Witmer, federal agents told him that the only reason for arresting the man was a recent “change in priorities” regarding people who are allowed to stay in the United States while awaiting the outcome of immigration proceedings.

    “This is a man who has a job as a roofer, and other than the immigration charge against him, has never been accused of any criminal activity,” Witmer told The Buffalo News on Friday. “An immigration judge released him on $10,000 bond last April, and he’s been waiting for his asylum case to come to court.

Read the rest of the article on Buffalo News:

Buffalo lawyers criticize arrest of migrant waiting for asylum hearing 

Buffalo Federal Detention Facility sued for "slave-like" labor conditions, Akima Global Services named as defendant

Worker Justice Center of New York (WJCNY) Sues Akima Global Services for Labor Violations at Buffalo Federal Detention Center

 A Buffalo-area detention facility, the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility, run by a private contractor, "Akima Global Services," was sued in September by the WJCNY for Labor Violations at the facility.

"The Buffalo Detention Center pays all working detainees $1 a day, regardless of hours worked, which can be as long as 12 hours. BDC does not offer hazard pay, and many of the workers are responsible for wards of people infected with COVID-19."

See also: https://www.workers.org/2020/09/51428/ 

This is the same facility where Borowski Witmer Immigration Lawyers regularly represents detained clients. A huge thank you to the public interest organizations that use their resources to fight for the rights of detainees at this facility.

 

We are now Borowski Witmer Immigration Lawyers

Borowski Immigration Law is now Borowski Witmer Immigration Lawyers. We continue to provide diligent, competent legal representation to our clients from our convenient location in Buffalo, NY. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we are fully operational, providing telephonic consultations and continuing to represent our clients. Please call us at 716-330-1503 to discuss your immigration situation.

Borowski Immigration Law moves to a new location!

We have moved! As of November 18, 2019 we are now located at 4343 Union Road, Buffalo, NY 14225, conveniently located near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the Walden Galleria mall, all major highways and just ten minutes from downtown Buffalo. Our new location has free parking and more space to better serve our clients.

Matthew Borowski Admitted to United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Buffalo, New York based immigration lawyer Matthew Borowski was admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on January 25, 2019. The San Francisco, California based federal appeals court exercises jurisdiction over Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington State, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The Ninth Circuit is by far the largest of the thirteen courts of appeals, with 29 active judgeships.

This admission allows Matthew Borowski to represent clients for Petitions for Review of administrative agency decisions, most notably appeals of Board of Immigration Appeals decisions in cases that arose within the Ninth Circuit's area of jurisdiction. Mr. Borowski has already filed appeals of decisions in two cases that arose at the Adelanto Immigration Court in Adelanto, California, which is a detained immigration court situated within a privately owned immigration detention facility (owned by GEO Group).

Matthew has already been licensed to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since January 2015. The Second Circuit and the Ninth Circuit together exercise jurisdiction over portions of the United States with a population of over 85 million.


If you need to appeal a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decision to the Ninth Circuit, Second Circuit, or any other federal court of appeal, contact Borowski Immigration Law today to discuss your options. We can handle cases nationwide.

Borowski Law Featured in Media for Representing Dreamer Whose Status Was Revoked Despite Criminal Charges Being Dropped

UAlbany student detained, ordered deported despite dropped criminal charges

Read an article by Mallory Moench at the Albany Times Union about Omar Helalat, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient and member of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society at the University at Albany, who is represented by Borowski Law. Omar Helalat was detained by immigration authorities, had his DACA revoked, and has been ordered removed

From the article:
"When he cheated on his girlfriend of a year, she accused him of trying to strangle her. In March, he was arrested on domestic violence charges and sent to the Albany County jail. His father came from Rockland County, just north of New York City, and paid to bail his only son out of jail, but Helalat was already in immigration detention. The government revoked his DACA and started his deportation.

The charges against Helalat were dismissed when his ex-girlfriend wrote a letter in his defense to the court. The case was unable to proceed without victim cooperation, a spokesperson for the Albany County District Attorney's office said."

The story was also covered by News 12, who interviewed Matthew Borowski. View the story here.

Matthew Borowski wins Syrian asylum case

Matthew Borowski has just won an asylum case for a Syrian refugee who feared forced recruitment by Bashar al-Assad's military forces, and persecution due to his pro-western political views. This individual's family home in Damascus had been destroyed in a bombing campaign several years ago, and he feared returning to the war-torn country. The news of our asylum win came just as the U.S. government sent airstrikes to several Syrian military sites. Immigration Judge Denise Hochul ruled in favor of our client's asylum claim, which was based on political opinion, religion, race, and membership in a particular social group of young, westernized Syrian men.

Borowski Immigration Law is thrilled that we were able to secure asylum and eventual U.S. permanent residency through the defensive asylum process at the Buffalo Immigration Court.

Those who wish to help assist people in Syria who are suffering during this war can donate to the White Helmets. Also known as the Syria Civil Defense, the White Helmets are a group of volunteers based in Syria who rush to victims’ aid when disaster strikes.