‘Now we all crying’: New York lawyer took on case for asylum client when his family came, but his son was left behind. 14 years later, he gets a text

A New York lawyer, Mark Hsu, has everyone on Instagram and TikTok reaching for the tissues with a recent post. He shared a rare, fourteen-year update on a pro bono asylum case he did back in 2009. The lawyer, who shares his experiences on social media under the handle pleaseopenbook, documented the emotional journey of reuniting a family and seeing the young immigrant boy he helped bring to the United States graduate as a class president.

The story began back in 2009 when Hsu decided to take on a pro bono case for a gentleman from Guinea who had been granted political asylum after suffering persecution and torture in his home country. While the man was eventually able to bring his wife to the United States, their infant son, Souleymane, was not included on the initial petition. He told his viewers that “her baby’s name was not on the petition (an “after-born”) so he was not allowed to go with her.”

Hsu explained that the parents initially believed the separation would only last a few weeks, but it eventually stretched into two years. In the on-screen text, he wrote that he took their case because “As a father to young kids, I felt the parents’ pain in my soul. I thought of all the milestones they were missing.” After a long struggle, Hsu successfully helped the family reunite at JFK airport in 2010.

His post shared a montage of the reunion

According to official USCIS guidelines, individuals seeking protection in the United States must demonstrate they have suffered or fear persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. When someone is granted asylum, they may petition to bring a spouse and children to the country by filing a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition. The child must be unmarried and under 21 to be included.

It should be noted that lately the laws and rules for immigration and asylum have been changing. A few months ago, the administration released a memo tightening the timeline by which refugees must resolve their paperwork. Additionally, announced a temporary freeze on immigrant visas.

In 2010, though, Hsu was able to bring Souleymane back and, in his post, showed photos of the toddler arriving in a sharp grey suit, while his parents looked on with overwhelming joy. Amongst their photos, he included one of himself crying at the moment. He then admitted that he lost touch with the family over the years, though their perseverance always stayed with him. 

That changed when he received a message from Souleymane shortly after a basketball game. According to screenshots in the post, Souleymane texted, “For the past 13-14 years I’ve been always wondering how you were doing. You were the one who helped me become the person I am today.” Hsu included a photo of the teen, explaining that Souleymane was a high school senior preparing to head to college to become a nurse anesthetist.

Souleymane allegedly wrote: “My graduation is on the 27th of this month (saturday). I will be doing a speech as class president, and you are one of the people I will be talking about. And it would be an honor for you to be there.” Hsu accepted the invitation. With the note, “WARNING: me crying a lot,” he then edited in clips of his reunion with the family and his reactions to the graduation ceremony. 

Both TikTok and Instagram were overwhelmed, with viewers expressing how touched they were by the update. One Instagram user wrote, “And now we all crying. Such a beautiful story,” while another added, “You Sir represent everything what’s best in humanity. And in the US.” 

A TikTok user commented, “The legend of your kindness will probably be told for generations in their family.” Another TikTok user shared a personal experience, saying, “A pro bono lawyer took my single mom’s case when she was raising three kids. I will never, ever forget the lawyer who looked at my family and decided we were worth fighting for.”

Hsu ended his post by advocating for this kind of legal work. In his post, he included a photo of himself with Souleymane and his parents, captioning it, “Hard working immigrants make this country great.” He also offered some simple advice to his followers: “Do pro bono work. It’s good for your soul.” It is clear that for Hsu, the experience was more than just a professional obligation, as he described the case as “The best thing I ever did as a lawyer.”