We received some really great news on Friday and I wanted to share!
Our former client, Esther, hired us in 2017 to file a VAWA and green card application for her and her daughter. Esther had endured multiple sexual assaults prior to coming to the United States and she hoped to meet a man here who would treat her with the love and dignity that she yearned for (and deserved). The man she met and married, though, used her past to shame and belittle her. He manipulated her finances, and began threatening her with deportation. The peace she had hoped to find in the U.S. eluded her while she was married, but she found the strength to leave him. After she was safe, she reached out to me and we built a VAWA case for her and her daughter. The VAWA case was approved in 2019 and in 2020 she and her daughter became lawful permanent residents. It was a glorious day, but something was missing.
Her oldest son remained behind in her home country and his life was getting more and more difficult for him as he grew-up. He was now 22 and had a bright future ahead of him, if only he could join his mother and sister in the United States. Since he was listed as Esther’s child on the VAWA application, we could work with the Department of State to get him an immigrant visa. We waited through COVID backlogs and staffing shortages and finally, last week, he had his immigrant visa interview. He was approved and will be joining his family soon.
It’s sad that it took six long years to get a mother and her son reunited, but I am grateful that they were successful. I love bringing families together and I cannot wait to see Ester and her son hug for the first time in a very, very long time!
-Tracie
*names changed