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As a young man growing up in Phoenix, a culturally diverse city with a significant immigrant population, Benjamin Albrecht ’26 was always aware of the issues and challenges facing immigrants. So when an internship opportunity arose at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) this past summer, he knew it was something he wanted to pursue. With funding support from the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) to cover the expenses associated with working an unpaid internship, Albrecht spent six weeks working directly with immigrants and refugees, learning the ins and outs of immigration law and the challenges this population often faces. With the internship behind him, Albrecht took some time to discuss what he learned and the impact the experience had on his education and future. 

What was it about this internship that interested you?  

Growing up in Phoenix, questions surrounding immigration have really always been pretty salient in my life, and I've talked a lot with people that have experienced the system. I had an internship in high school where I was working with someone who was going through the immigration process and heard about all the work that his lawyers were doing to help him win asylum, so I think it's always been on my mind. The recent political climate really made it clear to me that this is something I want to explore more deeply and see what it’s actually like to do the work of an immigration lawyer.  

What kind of work did you do with the law center? 

I had a case partner, another intern, and we were assigned a client who's in detention and applying for asylum, so the bulk of our effort was working on his case. We would meet at least twice a week, with a phone call and then in-person at the detention center where he is being held. Currently, there are only about five pro-bono immigration lawyers in the whole state of New Mexico, so there's really not capacity to represent people in court. What we were doing was creating pro se asylum packets, which is basically preparing all of the documents to submit to the court and ensuring the client would know what the hearing will look like and how to prepare for it. It’s all the work leading up to the hearing without actual representation because there's just not capacity for that.  

 Over the course of five weeks, we held around 10 meetings with our client, and created this packet for him. He also had evidence to support his asylum claim, and we got that officially translated for him, indexed it all, and wrote his declaration, which is his statement and his story. Our client was from Venezuela, so we also researched the country conditions to corroborate and support his story. 

 This was all done under a supervising attorney who was checking our work and available for questions, but we were responsible for the bulk of the work because they are all so overloaded with work. 

Did you experience any surprises or unexpected challenges doing this work? 

I think the work itself was a surprise and the fact that it was a lot of responsibility. You know, we had someone's full case in our hands. The work was being checked by attorneys, but the meetings and all the interviews were all conducted by two interns. I didn't know it was going to be that much work, but I appreciated being given the responsibility. 

Another surprise is just how hard they make receiving services in the detention centers. We would show up for a meeting and be told, “you need this form now.” Then when you come back with that form, you’re told you now need a letter from their attorney saying you're allowed to be here. They seemed to always come up with some excuse as to why you couldn’t visit. I was lucky in that there were two detention centers, and I had the one that was easier to work with, so I was able to get an in-person meeting with our client at least once a week. 

They really make it as difficult as possible to provide legal services, and the conditions in the detention centers are really egregious. They really are prisons, and you can try to prepare yourself for that, and you read the news stories, but then actually being there hearing people talk about their situation is very different.  

What were some of your key takeaways or things you learned?  

The one thing that that my supervising attorney kept saying, which has really stuck with me, is the immigration system isn't broken; it's working as intended. The system isn't just in need of a little fix and it'll be fine. It's bad all the way to the core. It's just terrible and it's intended to be that way.  

How did the internship complement your 91���� education? 

I've always known that social justice work is something that I want to have as part of my life. You learn all these things in the classroom, and you read the theories, and you read the academic explanations of the immigration system, but then when go and do the work and tie that into what you're reading and being taught, it’s really powerful. 

How has the internship experience had an effect on your personal and career plans? 

I think it made clear to me is that I need to incorporate some kind of social justice work into my career and life. This experience was really emotionally intense and draining and exhausting, but at the same time it was really fulfilling and powerful. It definitely confirmed that that's something that l need to have in my life. And so even if I don't end up being an immigration lawyer, it's still going to affect how I think about whatever I do.