In August 2021, the Immigration Clinic published its pro se resources in Amharic. One of the Clinic’s summer interns, Salem Amare, J.D. ’22, translated the materials, in addition to her case work. The resources were created to help immigrants who may not have an attorney access basic information about applying for asylum and the Arlington Immigration Court. The Immigration Clinic’s pro se resources in English, Spanish, and Amharic are some of the only resources available focused on Virginia, and the new pages are some of the only resources about any immigration court published in Amharic.
Amharic is one of the two main languages spoken in Ethiopia. It is the most commonly spoken African language in Virginia, and it is one of the top 10 languages in Virginia. It is spoken by more than 28,000 people across the Commonwealth.
“The accessibility of reliable resources on immigration issues is something that means a lot to me and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work on this project,” said Salem. “With little resources in Amharic out there, I know the availability of this page will have great impact on Ethiopian immigrant communities near and far.”
The pro se resources in English, Spanish, and Amharic can all be found at this link.
William & Mary Law School Immigration Clinic Blog 