I don't even know what day it is.
I am so proud that this team has succeeded in significantly lowering the bonds women must pay to ensure they will appear at an asylum hearing, once released. Today, one of our lawyers succeeded in getting a bond of just $1,500 when the bonds a few weeks ago were up to $30,000. Our lawyer's success was due, in part, to the system's failure. The daughter, only 7, has refused to eat for the two months they have been here. Yesterday, the mother resorted to requesting a baby bottle of milk to provide some nourishment and liquids to her starving daughter. Everyone in the courtroom was crying, as the girl sat with her head on the table.
On a much lighter note, the highlight of my day was trying to keep a three-year-old brilliant little boy occupied with no toys, nothing to do, while his mother spoke to her attorney on the phone. In my poor Spanish, I must have used a feminine adjective about him, as his looked at me sharply and growled in his deepest little voice, "NO, yo soy un NIÑO!" His delight at having my attention for an hour was something I'll never forget.
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