Client Story
As Mother's Day nears, we would like to share a fascinating case that
not only ensures that a mother and daughter will remain united here,
but also helps provide security for future mothers and their
children. A few years ago, 16 year old Sandra, an undocumented
immigrant from Chile, became pregnant. She and the father of her
baby girl decided to marry and they continued to live with Sandra's
mother, Rebecca, so that Sandra could continue her high school
education.
Shortly after their baby girl was born, something went terribly
wrong: Sandra's husband came home one night visibly drugged out and
maniacal. This was something Sandra had never seen before and she
was scared. As Sandra prepared to go to bed that night, her
husband attacked her with a bottle and a knife. Sandra's screams
brought her mother running to her aid. In her fury to protect her
only daughter, Rebecca was able to wrest the knife from her son-in-law's
hands and even break the knife in two.
Sandra's husband was arrested and prosecuted and is still serving
time in prison. Because Sandra was an immigrant victim of a
violent crime and because she cooperated with the police in the
prosecution of that crime, Just Neighbors was able to secure a U Visa on
her behalf. Sandra also applied for a "derivative" U Visa for her
mother, Rebecca; however, that visa was denied. Immigration
reasoned that although Sandra was still a minor (17 at the time she
applied for her mother) she was married and therefore not a "child"
under the definition set forth in immigration regulations.
Just Neighbors, with the help of a well-known immigrant advocate out
on the West Coast, requested that Immigration reconsider its
decision. We argued that the U Visa regulations use the term
"alien" instead of "child" in the regulations pertaining to derivative
parents, and therefore Sandra, a married alien, could apply for a
derivative U Visa on behalf of her mother. Last week, Rebecca's
case was approved!
This is important not only for Rebecca, but for many other immigrant
victim U Visa holders who are minors but married and who want to apply
for their parents. This is the first case of this kind and Just
Neighbors was delighted to set the precedent for other immigrants.
Sandra, her young child, and her mother Rebecca are still living
together and now have the security and opportunities that come with
employment authorization. Just Neighbors was happy to call up
Rebecca and tell her the good news, just in time for Mother's Day!
Around the Office
We are grateful for funding from the Verizon Foundation
once again this year to support our work assisting victims of domestic
violence.
Just Neighbors
enthusiastically welcomes three new members to our Board of Directors:
David Bates joins the board as Just Neighbors' new
Treasurer, bringing with him 32 years in the field of Certified Public
Accounting. He has been involved with several Boards of
Directors in both the For-Profit and Not-For-Profit arena, including
current service as Treasurer of the Henry Fork Service Center in
Franklin County, VA. David has served the Virginia
Conference of the United Methodist Church at both the district and the
local church level, assisting in the areas of finance, accounting, and
taxation. David is stepping in for our long-time Treasurer,
Marilyn Traynham, who has given countless hours of service to us over
the years. Marilyn could never be replaced, but we are thrilled to
have David filling this vital role for us.
We also welcome to the board Jim Dake, a 36-year
resident of Arlington who has seen waves of immigrants enrich the
community over the years. Jim, retired from the federal
government, has worked at Wesley Seminary where he coordinated church
relations. He is active at Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church,
where he has led stewardship campaigns and served as President of the
Mt. Olivet Foundation.
Finally, Debra Lange joins the board as the liaison
between Foley & Lardner law firm and Just Neighbors. Since the
fall she has coordinated the firm's extensive pro bono activities with
Just Neighbors, enabling us to serve more clients with time-consuming
cases. Since becoming an attorney two years ago, Debra has
represented four pro bono clients on immigration matters.
Volunteer of the Month
We are glad to name Lesley Ellefson-Porras our Volunteer
of the Month for April. Lesley, an attorney, has been handling
cases at Just Neighbors since November. She is here on Mondays and
Thursdays, helping clients in both English and Spanish with U Visa
cases, family petitions, and other applications. Thank you Lesley!
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