At the tender age of five years old, Alejandra*’s mother left her children to seek safety in the United States after experiencing severe domestic abuse from her partner.
Alejandra stayed with her father, who was a dangerous and abusive man.
Her father forced Alejandra’s older sister into an arranged marriage. Fearing the same would happen to her, she went to live with her grandparents.
After her grandfather passed away and her grandmother was unable to support Alejandra by herself, Alejandra feared that she’d fall once again into the hands of her father.
It was then that Alejandra, fearing for her life, fled to the United States at the young age of 13.
She made the journey by herself with the assistance of coyotes. During the trip she lacked food, faced harsh conditions, and witnessed many things no child should witness.
When Alejandra crossed the U.S. – Mexico border she was apprehended by border patrol (CBP) and was held in a holding facility in Texas.
She was later moved to an Office of Refugee Resettlement facility in Los Angeles, where she stayed for 23 days. Alejandra’s mother petitioned for her to be released to her home in Virginia.
When they met in the airport, it was an incredibly happy moment for Alejandra and her mother – she was safe and happy to be with her mother after more than 8 years!
Alejandra is currently happily living with her mother and is waiting for the school year to begin. She dreams of going to college in hopes to be a doctor.
Ayuda is helping Alejandra seek immigration relief to be able to stay safely in the U.S. with her mother. Together, we are fighting to keep her in the United States, safe and sound.
But we can’t do this alone.
We need your support to help Alejandra and other immigrant children have a Brighter Future. Join our peer-to-peer challenge and make a real difference today.
*Name has been changed to protect identity of the client. Photo shown is for illustrative purposes only.
