RIF Asylum Support
Transforming complex immigration policies into clear, actionable steps for asylum seekers.
RIF, un soutien fiable dans votre parcours d’asile. RIF, apoyo confiable en su proceso de asilo
We equip asylum seekers with timely, accessible, and trustworthy legal orientation. We transform complex immigration changes into clear, actionable steps—providing clarity and protection against malpractice and exploitation.
Through weekly legal sessions, multilingual social media resources, and direct community outreach, we ensure that legal information is not only accurate, but also human.
Meet Our Team
Operations Staff:
Maria Blacque-Belair, Founder/Executive Director
Maria has worked with several international humanitarian organizations worldwide, delivering medical care and food aid in war zones and disaster-stricken regions. In 2006, she founded RIF Asylum Support based in New York City. She speaks French, English, and Spanish.
Mariella Cárdenas Torres, Program Coordinator
Mariella oversees the day-to-day operations of RIF Asylum Support, coordinating closely with team members and partners to ensure smooth program delivery. With a professional background in communications, content creation, and education, she has over eight years of experience leading diverse teams and producing high-quality resources. As an asylum seeker herself, Mariella brings a unique perspective to developing and managing RIF’s information and tools for asylum seekers and service providers, ensuring they are accurate, accessible, and deeply informed by the realities of the community. She speaks Spanish and English.
Romain N’Dri, African Community Communications & Content Specialist
Romain creates timely updates on immigration policies affecting asylum seekers, tailored for RIF’s Francophone African community on social media. He has a professional background in communications and logistics. A native of Côte d’Ivoire, Romain sought asylum in Morocco, where he now resides.
Legal Team:
Cassandra Esteban Brusi, Consulting Attorney
Cass is a consulting attorney with RIF NYC and an associate attorney at the Samokhleb & Bitterman Law Group. A graduate of the NYU School of Law, Cass has spent the entirety of her legal career defending immigrants’ rights at a variety of private law firms and not-for-profit organizations. She is proudest of the pro bono work she’s done on behalf of Central American survivors of gender-based violence, which includes the published victory in Castellanos-Ventura v. Garland, 118 F.4th 250 (2d Cir. 2024). She speaks English and Spanish.
Paulina Leyva H., Immigration & Detention Fellow Expert
Paulina is an aspiring immigration attorney dedicated to defending the rights of asylum seekers and migrants, currently specializing in criminal-immigration matters and detained removal defense. For nearly a decade, she has worked with local and international organizations supporting refugees, newcomers and underserved populations in NYC and across the United States. Drawing on her own immigrant experience, Paulina is passionate about providing compassionate, trauma-informed, and client-centered advocacy, as well as leading community education and outreach efforts. Her goal is to empower individuals to understand and assert their civil and human rights. She speaks English and Spanish.
Brian R. Duggan, Attorney at Law
Brian is a solo legal practitioner, having over 20 years of legal experience. He began volunteering for RIF Asylum Support in 2023. He provides low cost and pro bono (no cost) legal services for asylum seekers. He also provided legal support to pro se clients in the matrimonial courts. His earlier work experience also included performing environmental investigations and construction worker health and safety management as a Professional Geologist, and later as an in-house general counsel for engineering companies. He lives on Long Island with his wife, Mindy, a retired special-needs educator.
Legal Navigators:
Fabienne Peyrat, Legal Navigator
Fabienne has many years of experience working with RIF providing asylum orientation and reviewing asylum applications on a case-by-case basis. She speaks French and English.
Carol Skyrm, Legal Navigator
Carol speaks French and English. She reviews asylum applications on a case-by-case basis. She is also member of the RIF Board.
Tanzilya Oren, Legal Navigator
Tanzilya is a NYS-licensed Master Social Worker. After a career in civil society development abroad, in Uzbekistan and South Africa, she has worked in New York in the area of immigrant services since 2010. She speaks Russian and English.
Mental Health and Emotional Support:
Madelyn Miller, RIF Mental Health Advisor
Madelyn Miller, PhD, LCSW, works with adult survivors of trauma and loss in her psychotherapy practice and community work and teaches and trains on these issues. She has led the Emotional Support Group since Covid.
Legal Partners:
Co-Counsel NYC
Co-Counsel provides monthly legal consultations for RIF’s asylum seekers community. Through its nonprofit legal services, Co-Counsel partners with community-based organizations, law firms, and companies to respond to the emerging, complex, and ever-changing legal needs of immigrant communities. They provide training, supervision, co-counseling, and community education.