{"id":3775,"date":"2017-01-20T19:20:32","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T19:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/?p=3775"},"modified":"2021-03-10T22:19:19","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T03:19:19","slug":"survivor-domestic-violence-sexual-abuse-alejandra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/stories\/survivor-domestic-violence-sexual-abuse-alejandra\/","title":{"rendered":"A Survivor of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Finds Hope and Healing in America"},"content":{"rendered":"

*Please be aware that this story contains details of domestic violence act that may be upsetting to readers.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Survivor
Survivor of Domestic Violence: Alejandra Tells Her Story<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alejandra* grew up in a poverty-stricken and violent area of Honduras, where she was raised by extended family members after her mother was murdered by a former paramour. When Alejandra was old enough, she moved to the capital city to try and earn a better living for herself. There, she met Carlos. The two began dating and, at first, he was friendly, charming, and affectionate. Eventually, they moved in together and she became pregnant with their first child.<\/p>\n

After Alejandra became pregnant, Carlos became increasingly violent. After a particularly violent incident where Carlos strangled her, Alejandra knew that she would never be safe from Carlos\u2019 abuse. Having seen the Honduran\u2019s police unwillingness to get involved in family violence to protect her mother or her friend, who were also victims of violence, Alejandra knew she would have to flee in order to be safe.<\/p>\n

When Carlos learned through family that Alejandra was trying to flee to the United States, he brutally raped her, telling her \u201cshe was always his woman\u201d and that, \u201cno matter where she went, he would find her.\u201d Fearing for her life, Alejandra and her oldest child Asylee* left the very next day.<\/p>\n

Alejandra and Asylee\u2019s journey to the United States was both long and dangerous. They traveled on foot and by bus through Guatemala and Mexico. Often, Alejandra had only enough food and water to give Asylee. Once she reached the United States border, she told a customs and border patrol officer that she was afraid for her life to return to Honduras.<\/p>\n

Someone who is afraid to return to their country of origin may be eligible for asylum in the United States, if their fear is based on past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution because of their race, religion, national original origin, membership in a social group, or political opinion, and if they can show their country is unwilling or unable to protect them. As a survivor of domestic and sexual violence, customs and border patrol permitted her entry into the United States so that she could request asylum before an Immigration Judge.<\/p>\n

Connecting Alejandra to Supportive Services<\/h1>\n

Alejandra traveled to New York City and was connected to a Bronx-based immigrant rights organization, who helped her find temporary shelter and connected her to the Safe Horizon\u2019s Immigration Law Project <\/a>(ILP). At ILP Alejandra met one of our warm, compassionate legal professionals named Kristen. Kristen guided Alejandra in filing an asylum petition. ILP provided Alejandra with full legal representation, helping her to prepare her asylum case, apply for a work authorization, and get connected to mental health and social services resources. After months of preparation, Alejandra went before an Immigration Judge at the New York Immigration Court, where she gave powerful testimony about the impact the physical violence and verbal abuse she suffered had on her life to this day. As a survivor of domestic violence, Alejandra told the Judge, \u201cI still have difficulty sleeping and concentrating. Sometimes I feel worthless and devalue my own self. His words are still inside me. I make an effort not to remember [all that I suffered], but [the words] are still there.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Immigration Judge granted her asylum, providing both Alejandra and Asylee* status and protection here in the United States. The very same day, Alejandra\u2019s work authorization card came in the mail, which meant Alejandra could work toward her dreams of saving enough money to rent an apartment, reuniting with her youngest child still in Honduras, and earning a college education. In one year, she will be able to apply for a green card.<\/p>\n

As an Immigrant Survivor of Domestic Violence, Alejandra Encourages Others to Get Help<\/h1>\n

Since her grant of asylum, Alejandra has felt more empowered and has worked hard to continue building a life for herself and her daughter here in the United States. She is proud of how far she has come and urges other immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence to seek help.<\/p>\n

Alejandra was one of the 1,191 clients that ILP provided full representation to in 2016. ILP is staffed with trained and experienced attorneys that advocate on behalf of immigrant survivors of crime, torture, or abuse in New York City. ILP\u2019s expert legal immigration knowledge contributes to assisting all victims of crime, regardless of their immigration status.<\/p>\n

Safe Horizon believes that all victims of violence or abuse, including domestic violence, should be able to seek justice without fear because of their immigration status. You can help ensure that all victims of violence can seek justice by signing our pledge here.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pledge\"<\/a><\/p>\n

* Client names and identifying information have been changed to protect their privacy. Images used are representations of Safe Horizon\u2019s clients.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alejandra, an immigrant survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse, tells her heartbreaking story and urges other survivors of domestic and sexual violence to seek help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":{"id":3838,"alt_text":"Survivor of Domestic Violence, Alejandra Tells Her Story 2","caption":"Survivor of Domestic Violence, Alejandra Tells Her Story 2","description":"Survivor of Domestic Violence, Alejandra Tells Her Story 2","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":849,"height":565,"file":"2017\/01\/Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1-150x150.jpg"},"medium":{"file":"Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1-300x200.jpg","width":300,"height":200,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1-300x200.jpg"},"medium_large":{"file":"Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1-768x511.jpg","width":768,"height":511,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1-768x511.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]}},"post":3775,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Survivor-of-Domestic-Violence-Alejandra-Tells-Her-Story-2-1.jpg"},"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[302,304,300],"class_list":["post-3775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-domestic-violence-story","tag-sexual-violence","tag-survivor-of-domestic-violence","issue-domestic-violence"],"acf":{"page_header_title":"","page_header_excerpt":"Alejandra was one brave survivor of domestic violence who trekked across countries to escape abuse.","page_header_image":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/silhouette_hero_image.png","original_url":"","related_initiative_title":"Protect immigrant victims of violence like Alejandra","related_initiative_link":"https:\/\/putthenailinit.com\/take-the-vow\/","related_initiative_link_text":"Sign our pledge","featured_posts":[{"ID":3662,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2017-01-27 18:51:37","post_date_gmt":"2017-01-27 18:51:37","post_content":"\n

 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Shani Adess
January 27, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Safe Horizon, we believe that a person\u2019s legal status should not be a barrier to one\u2019s ability to seek help, obtain justice, and live a life free from violence. Safe Horizon\u2019s Immigration Law Project (ILP) is staffed with trained and experienced attorneys that advocate on behalf of immigrant survivors of crime, torture, or abuse in New York City. The statements and conversations around immigration during the recent presidential election have sparked numerous concerns, which I will address in the following blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Changes Has ILP Seen Since the 2016 Presidential Election?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have received many calls from clients and others in our community who have expressed increased concern and anxiety. It is very important that anyone with questions speaks with a qualified legal representative. Talking to an immigration law expert can help one to better understand their rights, evaluate their and their families\u2019 eligibility for permanent immigration relief, and create a safety plan to protect them and their children should any issues regarding their immigration status arise in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also important to remember that we do not yet know if any changes will take place after January 20th<\/sup>. Nevertheless, we are working hard to ensure that we are able to quickly respond to any changes that might occur, and will continue to promote and protect the rights of undocumented immigrants in our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should Undocumented Immigrant Victims of Crime Still Feel Comfortable Seeking Help If They Need It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For victims of violence or abuse, nothing is more important than safety. Every individual has a right to live free from harm, abuse, and violence. Local, city, and state agencies in New York firmly support all peoples\u2019 rights to have access to services to ensure their safety. This includes access to; emergency shelter, emergency health care, courts to seek orders of protection, law enforcement and the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2003 New York has been a \u201cSanctuary City.\u201d This means that city agencies are not authorized to report people who seek assistance to immigration authorities. These agencies include New York Police Department (NYPD), Administration for Children\u2019s Services (ACS), Human Resources Administration (HRA), and Family Courts. In recent weeks, local and city agencies, our Mayor, and our Governor, have all reasserted their commitment to protecting undocumented immigrants in our communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are afraid and need help call one of our three 24-hour hotlines that operate seven days a week, 365 days a year. Advocates are standing by right now to help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n