A Honduran family’s four-year struggle to stay in America together came to an end recently under Sherman & Howard’s care.

Attorneys Jane Waterman-Joyce and Carissa Davis represented the family in highly complicated and time-consuming immigration proceedings. Early victories in the case resulted in deportation protection for the four minor children, but the protection did not extend to the eldest daughter and mother. As a result, if unsuccessful at trial, mom and the eldest daughter would have been deported, separating them from the rest of the family (and the eldest-daughter’s American-born son).

“This result would be untenable for a family who had already suffered enough — having left their tent in Honduras in 2017 to escape pervasive abuse and threats of murder,” Davis said.

Sherman & Howard picked up the pro bono case in 2018, and after a historically tumultuous time in immigration law, the family can now rest at ease knowing they can remain in the United States.

Davis and Waterman-Joyce made clear that this win was a team effort, and numerous other attorneys pitched in along the way, most recently Iris Lozano. The litigation would not have been successful without Susana Chavez, a practice assistant in Labor & Employment. Chavez’s prior experience working as an immigration paralegal and fluent Spanish language skills proved invaluable to crafting case strategy and ensuring the family felt comfortable during this life-changing time.

Sherman & Howard attorneys work with the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network and with the Colorado Lawyers Committee on their Denver Legal Nights, in which attorneys help advise those who cannot afford an attorney on legal matters.