On Tuesday, October 29th, UCLI and Women of the World hosted their last legal workshop of the year. For the past four weeks, these workshops have welcomed migrant and refugee women community members and provided legal education on topics ranging from divorce and custody to workers’ rights. These workshops have been specially designed to address the critical legal challenges many displaced women face. UCLI is immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with Women of the World on these inspiring and insightful sessions.
The final workshop in the series was especially unique as it was hosted entirely in Spanish. The workshop’s topic was immigration and featured Geidy Achecar, a talented immigration attorney and dedicated supporter of UCLI’s mission. Ms. Achecar currently runs her own practice while simultaneously serving on UCLI’s Fiduciary Board and providing programmatic support to pre-law programming. Ms. Achecar herself is an immigrant, raised in a Spanish-speaking home in New York City. Growing up in this environment has instilled in her a deeply empathetic understanding of the struggles her clients face. Outside her law practice, she is involved in the Latino community in impactful ways, including serving as Co-executive Director of the Utah County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and as a legal fellow for Senator Luz Robles of the Utah State Senate.
During the workshop, Ms. Achecar covered several important topics, including the dangers of notarios (individuals who falsely claim they can provide immigration support without legal training), the parole-in-place policy, as well as assuaging fears about anticipated changes to the immigration process following the election.
We extend our deepest thanks to everyone involved in the workshops this year: to Ms. Achecar for her excellent presentation, to the South Salt Lake Promise Co-Op for providing a welcoming meeting space, to the many restaurants that generously provided meals, to the dedicated attorneys who shared their expertise, and especially to Women of the World for their invaluable partnership. Together, we have created a space of empowerment and support for the community we serve.
Geidy presenting information at the workshop
The workshop attendees getting ready for the presentation
Comunidades Unidas also had a presence at this event and shared resources with attendees
