I-ARC senior fellow Joy Ziegeweid co-chairs newly formed Ukraine Immigration Task Force (through NYSBA)

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the International Section did what it does best: It put together the best legal minds in international law and got straight to work.

Working through the New York State Bar Association’s Ukraine chapter and the Ukrainian Bar Association, the International Section assisted the country as it struggled with Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II and gathered evidence to prove that it was the victim of war crimes.

Their collaborative efforts and thought leadership have now led to a larger and robust Ukraine Immigration Task Force devoted to helping Ukrainians fleeing war find refuge in the United States.  The volunteer legal coalition now numbers more than 100 attorneys and policy professionals as well as nonprofit and advocacy organizations.

The goals include expediting employment authorization documents to help Ukrainian refugees find work quickly, providing educational resources in a multitude of languages on how women and children can safely find shelter and creating permanent pathways for residence.

How it started

Under the leadership of Edward Lenci, immediate past chair of the NYSBA’s International Section and co-chair of the Ukraine Task Force, the section had been working since December to offer its support.

Lenci and Serhiy Hoshovsky, a Ukrainian lawyer practicing in New York who is chair of the International Section’s Committee on Eastern Europe, worked closely to make this a reality.

As tensions intensified between Russia and Ukraine, the section established a Ukraine chapter and partnered with the Ukrainian Bar Association, eventually signing a Memorandum of Understanding pledging to work together. On Feb. 15, the International Section launched the Ukraine Task Force to help collect evidence of war crimes, assist refugees, provide humanitarian relief and aid displaced lawyers.

Task force member Joy Ziegeweid, a senior visiting fellow at Immigrant ARC, coordinated legal services with other immigration attorneys around the country, which resulted in a national spinoff of the Ukraine Immigration Task Force operating under the leadership of Anne L. Smith, co-chair and policy director.

Watching the destruction of her hometown, the Kyiv-born Smith immediately sought to find and contact relatives, and try to help them evacuate.

“Our relief from knowing they had found temporary refuge in Europe was soon replaced with the sobering realization that they may not be able to reunite with their loved ones in the United States anytime soon,” said Smith. “Attorneys, such as myself, felt a lot of frustration at the painfully slow visa processing, bureaucratic inconsistencies that approved some applicants while rejecting others who met the qualifications, and the overall lack of efficient pathways for Ukrainians fleeing war.”

Under Ziegeweid’s leadership, NYSBA’s UTF immigration and refugee team provided up-to-date information and resources to aid both Ukrainian nationals seeking protection and the attorneys that serve them inside the U.S. and abroad. Members recruited volunteers, dispelled misinformation, and published up-to-date information about relief available in Europe and the U.S. For immigration lawyers, the team provided up-to-date information about best practices, consulates, NGO guidance and relief and special legal considerations for Ukrainians.

While Europe and Canada quickly responded and welcomed refugees, the U.S. domestic response was slower. Issuance of B2 visitor visas to Ukrainians at consulates in Europe was marked by inconsistency and confusion. The U.S. government designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status in early March but did not begin accepting applications until April 19.

Due to growing interest and a new focus, the attorneys realized that a standalone Ukraine Immigration Task Force was essential to meet the challenges of the moment, particularly engaging in the multi-pronged policy advocacy necessary to ensure that Ukrainians could safely and quickly find refuge and stability in the United States.

Ziegeweid, the co-chair, said, “While it has been frustrating to witness how the dysfunction of the U.S. immigration system has prevented Ukrainians from quickly seeking safety and stability in the United States, it has been heartening to work with this ever-growing group of committed attorneys and advocates for refugees.”

“When I learned that the Ukraine Immigration Task Force had grown out of the NYSBA’s Ukraine Task Force, I was delighted and proud that our task force was really making a difference, and I think it showed on my face,” Lenci said.  “I was wowed, blown away, when I learned for the first time at the task force meeting on July 14th that our immigration team, under Joy’s leadership, had blossomed into a nationwide organization.”

Continue reading HERE.