Announcement
The newest addition to the Silver Spring team, Irina Golovanich, started in February as a caseworker with the Immigration Program. Prior to coming to the IRC, Irina worked in New York as a tutor for two Ukrainian students. She moved to Maryland to serve as an intern with the Immigration Program at the IRC’s office in Baltimore. She has a master’s degree in political science and focused her thesis on human trafficking.
Irina, originally from Ukraine, first came to the U.S. in 2002 with her father and brother. They came via a family reunification application that Irina’s mother filed on behalf of the family. As a Green Card holder in, Irina’s mother was eligible to apply for her family to join her in the U.S. and received pro-bono assistance from an attorney. While waiting for the application to be processed, her family was separated for almost four years. Now, as an Immigration Caseworker, Irina helps clients file the same types of family reunification petitions that initially enabled her to come to the U.S.
What first sparked your interest in the field of immigration and the IRC?
I’m an immigrant—I don’t talk about it all the time—but it’s something that I think about every day. The IRC is such a well-known organization internationally and in the U.S., so it felt like a good fit.
What is your favorite type of application to help clients file?
Green Card applications are my favorite. It’s the first step that [clients] take towards establishing themselves here legally. It’s such a big deal for every one of our clients and they’re all so excited. They know that after four years they’ll be able to be a US citizen. I like how seriously clients take it. It gives them a little more peace of mind.
The family reunification petitions stress me out a little more, because you realize it’s literally families that are on the line. There is a little more pressure because they have been apart for so long. Sometimes I share my personal story with clients—I understand what they’re going through.
Do you have any specific memories or interactions with clients that stand out in your mind?
The very first appointment I sat in with Laura [my former supervisor in Baltimore], was with a Burmese man. It took him almost two years to come here to the U.S. He had to travel all the way through South America to get here. I was just amazed I guess… at [his] will.
Another story that stands out is a young guy from Eritrea who came in to apply for his Green Card. We were going through some forms and at first he was defensive and upset but he eventually warmed up.
He grew up in an orphanage where his parents dropped him off at age 7, so he was old enough to know them. He lived in Sudan for a little bit. He was so young, 21 I think, but he was just escaping poverty and dire conditions his whole life.
How have the recently issued Executive Orders on immigration effected your work?
Our clients are way more worried now—everybody’s just worried. After the EO was issued we had a lot of clients come to apply for their Green Card at the office in Baltimore. There was a wave of people who came in. Now, all of our clients know about the political climate in our country. They’re staying educated about the issues that are affecting them, which is good to see. But it’s very concerning to see how worried they are.