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Nabeel's Story
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The last three months of the trek before I arrived in the US nearly broke my body and spirit.

UPDATE MAY 2024:

A migrant from Pakistan who arrived in California about two and a half years ago, Nabeel graduated from Cuesta Community College in May of 2024 and is headed to a four-year university!

In 2019, Nabeel fled his country of Pakistan due to religious persecution. Fearing for his life, Nabeel went to his parish priest for advice, and with the help of a local bishop, he was able to obtain an expedited visa to Panama. 

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Once he was in Panama, Nabeel made an application in order to seek asylum there. He was fortunate to make friends with an American couple living in Panama who generously welcomed him into their home. In November 2021, after almost two years of trying for asylum in Panama, he decided to make the long trek to the U.S. With him were two Pakistani friends that he had met during his stay there. 

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The four-month journey to the U.S. was dangerous. They spent days hiking through the jungles and open wilderness of Latin America. They camped at night and traveled during the day. They slept on the bare hard ground and some nights were very cold. Nabeel had one meal a day, usually boiled rice. He found it helpful that he was able to use the Spanish he learned while living in Panama to communicate. 

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Having no legal option to seek asylum, increasing numbers of families and individuals are attempting to cross illegally between the ports of entry, out of desperation. In the end, Nabeel and his friends decided that this was the surest way to have any hope of requesting asylum. Nabeel and his friends climbed a ladder over the border barrier and dropped into U.S. territory, where they were apprehended by Border Patrol agents. They initiated their asylum claim by telling the border patrol agents that they wanted to seek asylum.

 

Of the trip to the border, Nabeel said, “The last three months of the trek before I arrived in the US nearly broke my body and spirit.” 

 

Nabeel ended up at the Imperial Detention Facility in Calexico; his friends were sent to other detention centers. During his stay there, Nabeel passed his credible fear interview. (NOTE: The credible fear interview is conducted by an asylum officer and determines the credibility of the person’s asylum case. Based on the results, people are either allowed to continue the process for seeking asylum or they are placed into deportation proceedings.)

 

In February 2022, he arrived in San Luis Obispo County where he lived with his sponsor. ​(Many immigrants are released from immigrant detention to live with relatives in the U.S. If an immigrant does not have family here, then they may be released to a sponsor.) 

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Through the Santa Barbara Immigrant Legal Defense Center, Nabeel qualified for free legal counsel, for which he is deeply grateful.

In May of 2023, he won his asylum case!

 

NOTE: Access to legal counsel profoundly affects the success of an asylum seeker’s case.  (Of those without representation, only 1 in 10 claimants ultimately win their asylum case. In contrast, those represented by counsel are at least three times more likely to have their claims approved.)

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Nabeel enrolled at Cuesta College, and once he had his work permit, he got not one, but two jobs, including a night shift at Home Depot. Initially he rode the bus and his bike everywhere, but eventually he saved enough to buy a used car. Once his asylum had been granted, he moved into a rented room in a home in SLO. 

In May of 2024, he graduated from Cuesta College with an Associates Degree in Computer and Network Technology. Nabeel plans to continue his education at Cal State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, California.

Nabeel left behind his parents and his older brothers and sisters in Pakistan. He frequently makes a WhatsApp video call so he is able to see and talk to his parents. “They are old. I worry about them and I miss them.”

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