Firm Associates Win Asylum for Deaf Couple

A team of Patterson Belknap associates has won asylum for a deaf couple from Colombia in removal proceedings. At the outset, difficulties in communicating with the deaf couple, who are illiterate and use sign language unique either to each other or Colombia, were complicated by the effects of trauma and isolation that they experienced in Colombia as a result of their hearing disability. Patterson Belknap explored a number of interpretation options before finding a combination of skills that allowed our clients to give voice to their experiences of discrimination and persecution in Colombia. This testimony established the couple's strong grounds for asylum, leading to this victory.