Enrique Polavieja, who often works through lunch, is among the first to arrive at work and the last one to leave. The Immigration Specialist at the IRC is always surrounded by stacks of paper that never seem to diminish.
”It is always a pleasure to serve my clients; they are good and honest persons who have experienced a hard life”, explains Enrique. “I feel very fortunate that I can help them”.
The majority of Enrique’s work consists of helping refugees and asylees gain legal permanent residency, something that all refugees must apply for within a year of arriving to the United States. Enrique also helps process relative petitions, citizenship applications, work permits, and travel documents. The length of time he works on a case varies from a few months to years, and requires much paperwork.
To Enrique, the underlying value of all the paperwork is simple: to reconnect families that have been torn apart. Enrique says that too many families are separated, an important driving factor behind his long hours and limited lunch breaks.
When asked, Enrique states that the most rewarding part of his job is supporting parents who want to give their children opportunities that they themselves did not have. “You learn a lot from clients and the sacrifices they make.” Another highlight of his job? Seeing clients, who, after a long application process, become citizens of the United States!
To learn more or get involved, email Dallas@Rescue.org or call 214-461-9781 in Dallas or 325-675-5643 in Abilene.
