HAITIAN- CREOLE  /

Workers: Know Your Rights (Legal Aid Bureau)

Maryland Farmworkers’ Rights (Legal Aid Bureau)

Your Rights to Interpretation And Translation From Maryland State Agencies - Information about and explanation of the Maryland law that requires many of the Maryland state government agencies and programs to help you if you have trouble with English. (May 2007).

Your Right To An Interpreter in Court - You have the right to have an interpreter when you have a case in the Maryland courts. This brochure describes your rights. The Maryland Legal Assistance Network and the Maryland State Bar Associations' Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services created the brochure. You can print it out and take it to court as one way of asking for an interpreter. You can give the brochure to the clerk. There is an English section that tells the clerk which language you speak and notifies the court staff person that you wish to have an interpreter. (2 pages - 2007)

Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants (PDF) (USCIS) - A guide created by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (English) ) that discusses a wide variety of issues pertaining to being an immigrant in the US, such as rights and responsibilities as an immigrant, maintaining current status, federal benefits, and much more. 78 pages, last updated April 2007.

Finding Legal Help

The Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) supports the work of the organizations providing free legal help to people in Maryland with low and moderate incomes. Many organizations provide help in other languages.  This section is a gateway to the written information currently available in Maryland. 

You may also contact these legal organizations that can provide help using over-the-telephone interpreters in over 145 languages. If you are comfortable reading some English or  have a friend who can help, you can find more information on these legal organization and others by searching this directory.

Other sources of legal help

• Free Legal Advice for Howard County Residents - Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network (FIRN) (410-992-1923) is a Columbia, Maryland based non-profit organization that provides free legal advice on immigration, housing, domestic violence, health, and employment issues.  FIRN recommends that you have an English speaker assist until a translator can help you.  If there is no one in the office able to assist you in Haitian-Creole, the office will refer you to a volunteer outside the office who will help you.  You must be a Howard County resident to be eligible for this service; exceptions are made in emergency situations.  FIRN is open Monday, Thursday, and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Finding Information on the Web

• Social security, retirement and survivors benefits, disability benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits  - The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the federal government agency that administers social security, a way for Americans to automatically save money for the future. The SSA offers many of its documents online in Haitian-Creole.  Here you can find general information on topics such as the various social security programs, applying for retirement, disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits, and a glossary of social security terms. Also, you can call 1-800-772-1213 to request a free interpreter to assist in social security issues.  An English speaker must go through the phone tree to request an interpreter.
  

• Employment Discrimination - The Department of Justice – Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is a federal agency division that investigates employers charged with discrimination based on national origin and citizenship status.  If you know of a possible unfair immigration-related employment practice, or just want to learn more about OSC, call the toll free information number and worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688.  Once you get through to the hotline, dial “0” immediately and say "Haitian-Creole only."  Hold on the line until they get an interpreter for you.

• You have the right not to be discriminated against based on national origin - (U.S. Department of Justice)

Last review June 21, 2007 (MLAN/GG)

About this website. The Maryland State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, sponsors this site. The website was developed (1999-2007) as part of an access to justice initiative by the Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) in collaboration with a number of legal services providers serving low and moderate income Marylanders.  In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source: Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org. © Maryland State Law Library, 2007.”

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