News Updates

Iowa Justice for Our Neighbors 

  P.O. Box 41006, Des Moines IA 50311, Phone: 515-255-9809

 Iowa JFON Attorney - Gary Walters

    Serving the Cedar Rapids, Columbus Junction,

  Des Moines and Storm Lake JFON Sites

Students Want to Live the American Dream

Thousands of hard working young people who were brought to the United States a infants or children can now be locked up in federal detention centers and deported to a country which they have never known.

The DREAM Act could stop the injustice by giving students who have grown up and graduated high school in the United States the opportunity to earn legal status through higher education or military service.

Faith communities were disappointed when the Senate failed to pass the DREAM Act in December 2010.  However, in June, the Senate Judiciary  Subcommittee on Immigration Refugees, and Border Security held a hearing on the DREAM Act, chaired by Senator Richard Durbin ( D-IL) who has championed this legislation from the beginning.  For the first time in years, public support for positive immigration reform surpassed opposition.  In many ways momentum is building!

To continue building support this year, diverse communities of faith around the country will participate in DREAM Sabbath 2011, September 16^th - October 9^th.  During DREAM Sabbath 2011, congregations will lift up the lives of DREAM students in the prayers, readings, reflection and education during at least one worship service as a way to help educate and spread awareness of DREAM students and their hopes to attain full recognition of their contributions to our communities.

 You can help your congregation better understand the issue by telling them about these youth.  For more information on participating in DREAM Sabbath, go to   This website also has Immigration Education materials and stories of DREAMers.

Gloria is grateful!

In 2007, JFON helped Gloria* petition for her own status based on the Violence Against Women Act because her legal permanent resident husband was abusing her.  In 2009, the VAWA petition was approved.

In February 2011, JFON helped Gloria submit her legal permanent residency application based on the approved 2009 VAWA application.  Gary attended the interview with her.  In July 2011, Gloria received a letter stating that she was approved as a legal permanent resident.  She is grateful and happy that she can now have a more stable life with her children.

We invite your participation

Justice For Our Neighbors offers free, professional  legal services to low-income immigrants in their immigration process.  Our immigration system is complex and arbitrary, and it is almost impossible to navigate successfully without the help of an immigration attorney.

We are looking for others who see this ministry as an opportunity to help hard-working newcomers gain the stable legal status for which they are eligible. Financial support for Iowa JFON brings hope to our clients, their family, and their community. 

Volunteers coordinate the JFON legal clinics,  welcome the clients, conduct the intake interviews, and remain with the clients as they wait for their turn with the attorneys. Volunteers are welcome at all four Iowa JFON Sites.

JFON offers speakers and resources for engaging congregations and groups in quiet  conversations about immigration and the newcomers in our midst.

For more information contact Doris Knight,

Iowa JFON Director, PO Box 41006,

 Des Moines IA 50311, 515-277-4719,

August 2011

JFON Volunteer Catches the Vision

                                   by Brynne Howard

At Iowa Justice For Our Neighbors, we get good news periodically - a victim of domestic violence finally able to claim her independence after being granted Legal Permanent Resident status, a young man granted his citizenship after navigating the long and difficult journey through our current immigration system.  We are also the bearers of bad news far more often than we’d like - hardworking husbands, wives, moms and dads with no options to remain legally in the United States despite their deep ties to their communities.

 Occasionally we even get to see the wheels of real, systematic change in action.  In January, Richard,* and elder from a local church, brought 17 year old Javier to a legal clinic appointment.  Richard was worried.  Javier was brought to the United States from Guatemala as a young child.  He grew up here, learned the language, and studied hard.  He wanted to go to college.  Unfortunately, for many young people like Javier, the immigration laws provide few, if any, options to remain legally.  Javier was clearly disappointed when we explained there were no options for him to remain legally under the current law.  Richard, who had developed a great friendship with Javier, was just as saddened and discouraged.  He wanted to know what he could do.  We reminded him that he still has one powerful tool - his voice.

In March we held another legal clinic.  Richard was there again, this time with Jonathan, another young man with a story like Javier’s.  He had to know that the outlook would be dim, but for some reason Richard was grinning from ear to ear.  As he sat down to meet with us, he couldn’t contain himself.

 “I’ve been doing it,” he said.  “I’ve been calling my

representatives every week.  I’ve been telling them about these kids that I love.  I’ve been telling them that we owe these kids a chance and that they deserve a future.”

In that moment with Richard and Jonathan, I felt the wheels move, if only an inch.  And I remembered Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, “Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.

U.S. Citizen Petitions for Brother

Miguel* came to the United States from Mexico and was granted legal permanent residence.  After he became a citizen, Miguel wanted to petition for his brother.  However, only 65,000 siblings from all over the world are allowed to immigrate each year.  As of August 2011 the US Embassy in Mexico is allowing brothers and sisters to apply for visas if their initial paperwork was filed in March 1996. 

Iowa JFON helped Miguel file the petition for his brother, knowing that it will be more than ten years before he will be allowed to come to the United States.

Burmese Refugee Residency Clinic in Columbus Junction

Pastor Al Coffin has been working with the Burmese refugee community in Columbus Junction.  On July 16, Gary and the volunteers at the Columbus Junction JFON Site held a legal clinic and  helped twelve Burmese refugees apply for their legal permanent residence.  A person is granted refugee status by a U.S. Embassy in a third country when he or she fears returning to his or her home country because of persecution by the government based on the person’s race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.  After living in the United States under refugee status for one year, a refugee is allowed to apply for legal permanent residence.