J. is a gay man in his twenties from Mexico who has a disability. He and his family immigrated to the U.S. in 2018 and were apprehended at the border. They were placed in detention and most of his family was sent back to Mexico. However, he and his sister who has a small child were allowed to stay and were able to apply for asylum. J’s case was heard by an Immigration Judge in San Francisco. With the assistance of Chelsea HaleyNelson, of counsel, NCLR was able to prepare J. for his...
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Mexico
J.A. is a transgender man from Mexico who was the survivor of a violent robbery in San Francisco. Because he cooperated with police in investigating that robbery, he was eligible for a U Visa, which protects immigrants who are victims of certain crimes in the U.S.. and who assist in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. J.A. is also a survivor of significant trauma and severe family rejection in Mexico, and, because of the effects of that trauma and rejection and lack of legal...
D.S. is a transgender woman from Mexico who came to the U.S. over 20 years ago. She faced severe persecution in Mexico because of her gender expression and perceived sexual orientation, including physical and sexual violence. Even after fleeing to the U.S., she continued to hide who she was, as she was living in a town with no visible LGBTQ community, and because of the lingering effects of the trauma she experienced. In early 2019, she moved to San Francisco, where she finally was able to...
M.G. is a transgender woman from Mexico who came to the U.S. in 2002. She fled threats from gang members and violence from police. Unfortunately, due to the severe trauma she suffered from her past, she found herself in vulnerable positions even in this country which made it difficult or impossible for her to apply for asylum for over 15 years. She eventually moved to San Francisco, where found support in the form of therapy, support groups, and supervised medical treatment to advance her...
T. is a transgender man from Mexico who is still working to overcome the lasting effects of the trauma he has experienced, both in his country and here in the United States. In fact, he was the victim of an attack here in the U.S. T. learned about asylum through his friend, who was also an NCLR Immigration Project client. That friend introduced him to support groups, where he met other people he identified with, and which ultimately led to him deciding to apply for asylum. His friend also...
A.M.D. is a transgender man from Mexico who has suffered much persecution in his country of origin at the hands of society at large and state authorities, including sexual abuse and threats against his life. A.M.D. had a very difficult time preparing for and feeling confident during the asylum interview, because he has challenges remembering dates and specific details of events in his life, in part due to the effects of the persecution he suffered. Thanks to the diligent work of our...
G.C. is from Mexico and has been in the United States since 2005. G.C. has suffered so much throughout her life and been targeted for being a masculine lesbian. Because of that past suffering, it is really hard for her to speak about her past experiences, which is why it took her more than ten years to seek legal help. Applying for asylum is a very stressful and often traumatic experience that forces people to recount experiences they would rather forget. Our Immigration Project team was able...
M.A.G. fled his country fearing for his life and safety as a gay man. Once in the U.S., he searched unsuccessfully for a long time for an attorney who could represent him and that he could afford. Three days before the asylum filing deadline, he was referred to NCLR. These cases usually take months to prepare but given that this was a life or death situation, our immigration project team did everything we could to put together a case for him and submit all the necessary materials in the course...
A.A. is a transgender man from Mexico. Despite facing family rejection and physical violence throughout his life for being transgender or being perceived to be too masculine, he remained in Mexico and tried to support his family there. However, when he started getting death threats from drug cartel members and police who were complicit, he realized he had to flee to protect his own life. Once in San Francisco, he was able for the first time to start doctor-supervised treatments to affirm his...
Jen (not her actual name) is a transgender woman from Mexico. From a young age, she faced physical and sexual violence from those around her, including her family, who targeted her because of her feminine behavior. As an adult, she continued to face violence from others, including multiple interactions with abusive police officers. On one occasion, a police officer threatened her with a gun, and sexually assaulted her and another transgender woman, who was her friend. Right before she left...