A Victim Justice Program Victory
(L to R) Jose, Alexis, Deyanira, & Karen
Deyanira originally fled to the United States to escape abuse at the hands of her children’s father. She dreamed of a better life for her family, trying multiple times to bring her three boys—Jose, Luis, and Alexis—to the U.S. with her. But by the time she was successful in reuniting with them, Deyanira was living with a new man who also became physically and emotionally abusive.
She believed her abuser would change, and Jose and Alexis chose to return to Mexico with their maternal grandmother as a result of the ongoing abuse they witnessed. While she was with her abuser, Deyanira gave birth to two children named Eva and Manuel. But the day her abuser turned violent toward her children, Deyanira knew she had to escape.
(L to R) Manuel, Deyanira, Eva, Jose, & Alexis
She came to the Clinic for assistance with filing for a U visa, which included Jose and Alexis as derivatives. The cases were approved and, because the boys were in Mexico, our Victim Justice Program staff began the consular processing applications for them. According to Bilingual Paralegal Karen Salazar, the family was finally reunited on November 21, 2019, after 11 years, and Alexis and Jose were able to meet their two younger siblings in person. “It is a blessing to have reunited with my children, Alexis and Jose,” says Deyanira. “This makes me want to continue praying more and more.”
In less than 3 years, Deyanira, Alexis, and Jose will be able to petition for their green cards. “Deyanira hopes that God would grant them the opportunity to become lawful permanent residents so that they may all return to Mexico to visit her mother and other child, Luis,” says Karen.
This case represents many victories for our clients, but it also represents important victories for Karen. “With the help of God and my team, I learned how to complete consular processing applications this year,” she says. This is the procedure of applying for an nonimmigrant visa through a U.S. Embassy or consulate in a foreign country, and Karen helped open four cases this year. “It is a victory for me because it means that I am continuing to gain skills to do God’s work,” she says.
But Karen’s victory through this case is even more personal. “I was once in Alexis and Jose’s shoes, longing to reunite with my mother. Like Deyanira, my mother left me in Mexico with my grandma in order to escape an abusive relationship,” Karen says. “They both made the difficult journey to the U.S. in order to provide a better future for us. I am blessed to have reunited with my mom, and I am thankful that God is blessing me with opportunities to help other families reunite.”
Karen wants people to understand the effect of this kind of work. “The U visa benefits survivors of violent crimes and empowers them,” she says. “These cases are common, but unfortunately, they will have longer wait times due to the U visa cap, which is 10,000 per fiscal year … It is so important to help in order to continue breaking the cycles of domestic violence and helping families reunite so that they may heal together.”
To learn more about our Victim Justice Program, please visit our website.