Irina

When “Irina,” a young undocumented woman, met “Francis,” a U.S. citizen, she thought she had found true love. Instead, she found herself married to a man who put her life at risk. At first, Francis seemed like the kind of loving and supportive partner Irina had always wanted, but he quickly turned violent. He hit Irina, sexually assaulted her, shamed …

Local 10 News

Victims of alleged abuse from Doral restaurant owner describe his unwanted sexual advances – Local 10 News

“Tatiana Hernández is a staff attorney on Americans for Immigrant Justice’s Lucha Project, which helps immigrant victims of crime gain legal status and connect with resources. She says protections exist for undocumented people who are victims of crime. ‘Because they’re undocumented, that ends up being a vulnerability for individuals,’ said Hernández. ‘The US government has seen it’s a vulnerability, they …

Lawyer Filing Papers

‘Into the shadows’: New federal rules could push asylum seekers further into poverty

By Monique O. Madan, The Miami Herald “Jennifer Anzardo Valdez, the program director for the Children’s Law Program at Americans for Immigrant Justice, a Florida non-profit immigration organization representing Miami’s most at-risk communities, is on the staff’s legal team charged with analyzing the administration’s new work-permit rules. She says the ‘rules are designed to keep asylum seekers not just from …

Lionel – Unaccompanied Minor Asylum/Trafficking Success

“Lionel” was raised in Guatemala by his grandmother until age 12, when he was forced to live with his father who forced him to stop attending school and work full-time on a construction site. Lionel, a small and slender child, was forced to do things like strap heavy construction materials to his back and carry them up several flights of …

Ana

“Ana” is an indigenous Mayan woman who at age 19 was recruited by a woman in her village who promised her a good job in the United States. When Ana arrived here, she was taken to rural Miami-Dade County where she began to work at a plant nursery run by Juan. After a few weeks, Juan began to charge Ana …

Alma

“Alma” was born in El Salvador and met “Jose”, the father of her children there. One day Jose told Alma that he was going to the U.S. to work and would send money for her and the children but never did. Eventually, Alma decided to make the journey to the U.S. with their two children because one was very ill …

Rebecca

Rebecca was trapped in a physically and emotionally abusive marriage; whenever she tried to flee, her spouse threatened to have her deported and retain full custody of their U.S. citizen daughter, Samantha. Rebecca was concerned that if she were forced to leave Samantha behind with her father, Samantha would become the target of his abuse. AI Justice was successful in …

Miami police reform how they handle immigrant victims following Reveal investigation

By Laura C. Morel / January 24, 2020 The Miami Police Department has enacted changes to how it treats immigrant victims of crime in response to an investigation by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. The story found that dozens of law enforcement agencies across the country routinely undermine visa protections for immigrants. Miami, like other departments serving large immigrant populations, had created barriers that …

Jill

Jill was only 15 when her mother took her to a bar and asked her to flirt with older men. Slowly but surely, her own mother groomed her into the sex trade. When Jill would complain and say she would not want to do it, her step-father would beat her. For more than two years, Jill lived a nightmare. Her …