Supervised by Clinical Instructor Sarah Sherman-Stokes, IRC students recently worked in conjunction with the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to ensure compliance with the Massachusetts Federal Court Order that put a seven-day hold on the enforcement of President Trump\u2019s executive order of January 27, 2017<\/a>, which blocked travelers coming to the US from seven majority Muslim countries.<\/p>\n Students, on a volunteer-basis, went to Logan Airport and provided legal support for travelers who were having issues or were simply curious about their rights. The Executive Order caused confusion in airports across the country, as it did not account for travelers en route to the US. Individuals with valid student or work Visas and legal permanent residents were detained, prompting protests to spark around the country calling for their release.<\/p>\n Among the group of students who volunteered to go to Logan Airport, Mario Paredes (\u201918) and Victoria Baratian (\u201917) gained on-the-ground experience helping travelers with their immigration issues. Paredes says the clinic\u2019s goal is to provide a support role for immigrants concerned about how President Trump\u2019s orders might affect them. The clinic is able to educate individuals who run into trouble at customs about their rights and direct them to the ACLU or other organizations that can provide legal representation in court.<\/p>\n For Paredes, the need for advocacy and community work in law is something he finds as a crucial component to why he chooses to practice law.<\/p>\n \u201cI think right now what we\u2019re seeing is lawyers realizing that being a lawyer is more than just interpreting the law or working within just the confines of the law,\u201d Paredes says. \u201cLawyers are advocates and I think this advocacy piece is a huge part of being a lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n Baratian says coming from an immigrant community has made her committed to working in immigration law and representing those in need.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a first-generation American, so the people who I call family here are all immigrants,\u201d Baratian says. \u201cI know people who are here struggling and working as hard as they can to give their kids a better life and I want to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n Sherman-Stokes says the clinic\u2019s work at Logan is only the beginning of what she sees as a response to the immigration policies of the Trump administration.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were people facing deportation before these executive orders, and there will be people facing deportation even after these executive orders are rescinded,\u201d Sherman-Stokes says. \u201cThere are still going to be a lot of people in Boston and around the country who are impacted by immigration detention and deportation. The IRC students and I are going to be there to represent those people.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"IRC](\"\/law\/files\/2017\/03\/IRC-at-Logan.jpg\")