Meet Gabriel Fueston (he/him)
Legal Assistant
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) - Worthington Office

 How long have you been with Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) and what led you there?
"I’ve been working at ILCM for six months now, but my awareness of the program began when I needed legal help, and I couldn’t afford an attorney. Around 2019, I returned to my hometown of Worthington, MN from Ecuador, and my family had no money for an attorney and were baffled by the complexities of immigration law in the United States, even for family-based immigration. A friend referred us to ILCM, and we received the free legal help we needed to apply for lawful permanent residence for my wife, who is now a United States citizen. In summer 2024, I heard about a job opening from a friend of mine who was leaving ILCM to attend law school. I had two years’ experience working in immigration law from a private law firm and felt like it would be great to be a part of the organization that helped my family out when we needed free legal help. As a bilingual legal assistant with 2+ years in immigration law and extensive experience working with trauma survivors, it was a perfect match!"

Tell us a little about your typical day as the Legal Assistant at ILCM Worthington.
"There is no typical day in immigration law. It would take an extensive (and badly needed) overhaul of immigration law and policy to create something like a typical day. However, certain tasks are done repeatedly, including but not limited to: preparing immigration applications, including client communication to procure tax records, medical records, and criminal records (experience has taught me to check every client on the public and non-publicly available databases to save time and avoid potential miscommunication), preparation of declarations, statements, and affidavits, sometimes with survivors of severe trauma, and administrative minding of paperwork, documents, and client notes so that colleagues can easily take the reins when needed. 

One great thing about working at ILCM is that, at all levels, leadership supports my professional advancement and my role as advocate in my community. Immigration policy changes frequently, and the forms and requirements for familiar case types are updated regularly, so I need to have the time to do legal reading, and suggested reading is curated by supervising attorneys and ILCM leadership. This knowledge helps me better advocate for my clients, and I appreciate the opportunity for continuing education as an ILCM employee. I am in the process of completing the necessary requirements to become a partially accredited representative with the DOJ, which would expand my professional opportunities and allow me to represent clients more directly. As an advocate, I am encouraged to participate in community events and help ILCM be known as an option for free legal help for those that need it.”

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work, and conversely, the most challenging?
”The most rewarding aspect of my work is seeing approved immigration applications, green cards arriving for clients, and successful citizenship applications. I have been through immigration processes in two countries (Ecuador where I became a resident, and the United States where my wife has become a citizen), and I can attest to the high level of stress that our clients experience. Seeing that stress dissipate and give way to joy is priceless.

The most challenging aspect of this work is vicarious trauma. This happens with humanitarian-based immigration applications, where I may be asked to help a client form a written narrative of extreme sexual trauma or some other nauseating form of abuse, often repeating challenging passages in first person. This can be triggering and sometimes requires a little cry break. Even with family-based immigration it never gets easy to see people experience the shattering realization that their family will remain separated by borders, continents, or hemispheres.”

If you could spend a day with anyone in history, who would it be and why?
”Duke Kahanamoku, early 20th Century Hawaiian pioneer of surfing. Waves to ourselves.”

Do you have any recommended viewing or reading as we power through to spring?
”G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century. Very interesting historical parallels to the times we are living in now, roughly 100 years after a young Hoover made his bones organizing the first and at that time largest mass deportation in American history. If that’s too heavy, try watching “Is It Cake?” with some ‘pinot greesh.’”