[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 192 (Tuesday, November 2, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING SPOJMIE NASIRI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ERIC SWALWELL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 2, 2021

  Mr. SWALWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Afghan-American 
immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri for her tireless and impactful work 
in assisting Afghans before and during the crisis of the Taliban's 
resurgence.
  Spojmie was born in Paktia, Afghanistan, in 1975 and emigrated with 
her family first to Germany in 1981 and then to the United States in 
1982, refugees from the Soviet-Afghan war. After growing up in Concord, 
California, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political 
Science from the University of California, Davis in 1998 and her Juris 
Doctorate from Golden Gate University, School of Law in 2003.
  Today, she is a member of the California State Bar admitted to 
practice before the California Supreme Court and the U.S. District 
Court for the Northern District of California.
  She chose to practice immigration law because she is, as she puts it, 
``acutely aware of the pain endured by immigrants separated from their 
families.'' She has used her personal experience to more fully 
understand the challenges her clients face, and to help them navigate 
the complex immigration process. She has done substantial pro bono 
work, and in 2019 she founded the nonprofit We Have Hope Foundation to 
support Pashto speaking youth in Afghanistan and around the world by 
creating accessibility to world-class learning materials in Pashto.
  Her life's work took on new dimensions in recent months as she has 
worked diligently from her Pleasanton, California office to help bring 
clients out of Afghanistan. Working by phone and email, she strove to 
coordinate efforts with the State Department to help people navigate 
the terrifying circumstances in Kabul to reach the airport and escape 
the country.
  At the same time, Spojmie has worked with groups including the Afghan 
Coalition and the Jewish Community Relations Council to inform the 
public about Afghan refugees' legal and practical needs for 
resettlement, and how best to help in the months and years to come.
  ``As an immigrant, you have a passion, a drive that's unlike any 
other,'' Spojmie once wrote. ``And you want to give back.''
  I thank Spojmie for continuing to give back so much in a time of such 
great need. She is a credit to her heritage, family, profession, and 
the 15th Congressional District.

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