Chris Oke-Ugbah first sought out the assistance of Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic in 2018 under the guidance of his cousin, who had heard clinic Director Marissa Montes on local radio discussing LIJC’s community work. Oke-Ugbah traveled by bus to Homeboy Industries in hopes of securing representation for himself and his twin sister, Christy. LIJC attorneys realized that Chris and Christy, who are Nigerian nationals, were unaccompanied in the United States, making them eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
LIJC agreed on the spot to represent Chris and Christy. Due to the zealous advocacy of LIJC students Michelle Polanco ’19, Lizzie Alva-Rajakumar ’19 and Samuel Schlegel ’20, Chris and Christy secured their legal permanent residency in 2020, despite numerous obstacles imposed on their case by the Trump Administration.
As a result of obtaining his residency, Oke-Ugbah was able to return to school and recently graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in aerospace engineering. Oke-Ugbah is now working for Virgin Galactic in their Guidance, Navigation and Control team to develop autopilot systems that will be integrated into spaceships. His work deals with commercial spacecraft that will allow civilians to travel to space.
LIJC is immensely proud of Oke-Ugbah’s accomplishments and the way his life and career have flourished since the roadblocks of his immigration struggles were removed. Oke-Ugbah states that he is forever grateful for the clinic and his advocates “for the kind of work we do for immigrants” like him.
