On July 29th, 2026, a team of Williams & Connolly associates, working in conjunction with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), achieved a milestone pro bono victory in the Eastern District of Virginia on behalf of family members of individuals who aided the United States military in Afghanistan and obtained asylum status in the U.S. after fleeing Afghanistan.  The seven families were expected to come to the U.S. through a follow-to-join process, whereby family members of asylees are given the same status.  Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland Security and State Department prohibited them from doing so based on an erroneous reading of the President’s Proclamations restricting the entry of nationals from certain countries, including Afghanistan. 
 
Four associates at Williams & Connolly identified this problem, researched the law, and drafted a compelling complaint challenging the government’s position under the Administrative Procedures Act.  The associates filed the lawsuit in the Eastern District of Virginia, staved off the government’s motion to dismiss, handled numerous discovery conferences, and then prevailed on summary judgment.  The associates handled the arguments in court at every stage of the case.  As a result, the Court vacated the government’s policy and ordered the prompt issuance of travel documents (or State Department interviews, in two instances) to the affected families. 
 
The Williams & Connolly associates were Lindsay Hannibal, Dani Barondess, Julian Kritz, former associate Lori Interlicchio, and summer associate Kelly Edwards.  They were supervised by partner Adam Harber and overseen by partners Will Ashworth, Ted Bennett, and Ryan Scarborough, who lead Williams & Connolly’s pro bono immigration and asylum program.
 
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