Type of Case: Removal Asylum
Language/interpretation needs: English fluent/French proficient
Date of Entry (and status, if any): 10/11/2023; Entered without inspection
Next Hearing: 07/29/2026 (Master – IJ Sardelli)
Current Status/status expiry: I-589 filed pro se (removal case ongoing)

Case Summary: Ms. ON was a teacher in Bamenda, Cameroon, where the ongoing conflict has made teaching life threatening, as separatist groups target educators for providing schooling while the government forces them to continue working. To survive, she moved to Dubai on a tourist and then residency visa, working there for five years while separated from her children and partner who remained in Cameroon. When she returned, separatists chased her, burned down her home, and forced her to flee with her children into the forest, where they lived for weeks before finding refuge in another village. Her children remain out of school for fear they will be killed, her partner is still in hiding, and she continues to face persecution as a teacher suspected of defying separatist orders. Her case reflects both the personal cost of the conflict and the urgent need for protection to ensure her family’s safety and her children’s right to education.
Theory of the Case: Past persecution and fear of future persecution by non-government actors on account of membership in a particular social group.

Commitment: Refile I-589, gather evidence and testimony, appearances at Court; Work permit (initial and renewals)

Court: Yes

Experience level/case team size recommended: Appropriate for any experience level and team size