Record 8.5-Month Green Card Victory: MLFA Immigration Team Overcomes Systemic Delays for Muslim and Palestinian Communities

The Immigration Litigation Department of the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) concluded 2024 with a significant victory, successfully securing lawful permanent resident status for a client in just eight and a half months. This achievement is notable given that most of MLFA’s immigration cases, particularly those involving the Palestinian-American communities, take many years to resolve due to systemic delays and discriminatory practices.
The case began in the fourth quarter of 2023 with MLFA’s Immigration Litigation team filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to uncover any potential issues that could complicate the client’s case. The client seeking U.S. immigration status is married to a Palestinian-American who was previously investigated by the FBI for several months in relation to his return to the U.S. from Palestine in October 2023. For this reason, MLFA’s attorneys believed that U.S. immigration agencies might discriminate against her and attempt to deny her applications based on “guilt-by-association,” which fits squarely within our mission.  Despite the complexities of the case, MLFA’s Immigration team navigated the process with unparalleled expertise and dedication.
“The speed and success of this case are a testament to MLFA’s deep experience and commitment to defending the rights of our clients,” said Kate Brady, the lead attorney handling the case. “We were able to preemptively address potential issues and avoid the common pitfalls that often delay or derail immigration processes for individuals from marginalized communities.”
Throughout the process, MLFA’s Immigration team—Kate, Franki Daniel, and Islam Zebi—ensured that the client’s green card eligibility was thoroughly documented and that their immigration filings were prepared with the utmost care. The client received her work authorization and travel permit without the significant delays that typically affect pro se applicants, especially those from Muslim or Palestinian backgrounds.
The client and her husband, who had initially planned to file their immigration applications without legal representation, expressed immense gratitude to MLFA for their timely intervention. “We are so thankful for MLFA’s involvement,” said the clients. “We never realized how much we were at risk without professional legal support, and MLFA’s expertise made the entire process seamless.”
This case is an important example of how MLFA’s Immigration Litigation Department works to proactively support individuals facing systemic barriers in the U.S. immigration system, particularly those affected by discriminatory policies such as the Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program (CARRP). CARRP disproportionately impacts individuals from Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities, often leading to lengthy delays and unjust denials based on national security or public safety concerns.
“By stepping in from the outset, we were able to prevent errors that many applicants make when filing without legal help, and we worked to ensure that our clients were not subjected to the harmful tactics that can accompany the CARRP process,” said Islam Zebi,  a paralegal involved in the case.
This client was referred to MLFA’s Immigration Litigation team by the organization’s Criminal Defense Department, who simultaneously represented the client’s husband in a months-long FBI investigation related to his travels to Palestine. That representation resulted in closure of the FBI investigation. Thanks to MLFA’s coordinated efforts across departments, both the criminal and immigration issues were resolved successfully.