Some Recent Victories

July 2008 Touching Lives

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March 2008 Touching Lives

September 2007 Touching Lives

August 2007 Touching Lives

July 2007 Touching Lives

June 2007 Touching Lives

April 2007 Touching Lives

March 2007 Touching Lives

February 2007 Touching Lives

January 2007 Touching Lives

More Client Stories

Sima* came home from work one day in Kabul, Afghanistan, to discover an engagement ceremony for her had been arranged by her father with his political ally—a 60-year-old man with two wives and 11 children who was also a prominent figure in a powerful, radical Islamic group in Afghanistan. After severe beatings and death threats from her father, Sima was forced into the engagement ceremony, but she knew that she could not go through or endure the marriage. Risking her own life, Sima escaped to the United States. After Sima fled, her father, as well as the man she would be forced to marry, threatened to kill her if she returned to Afghanistan, because of the shame she had brought to their families by refusing this marriage. Once in the United States, Sima sought the help of the Tahirih Justice Center. The Center place Sima in its pro bono program. Through the hard work of Kathy Ladun of Arnold & Porter LLP, Sima won her freedom and safety, and asylum in the U.S.

Carla*, who is from Colombia, married after what she thought was a storybook courtship. But the story quickly turned into a nightmare after her new husband became horribly abusive. So bad was the violence that she had two miscarriages after her husband beat her to a pulp. So bad that she required surgery to remove the fetus the second time… so bad that her husband refused to pay for her anesthesia, so she actually had to get the money for that from others… so bad that he continued to beat her through a third pregnancy. This would be horrific enough for anyone, but it was made even worse by the fact that Carla’s right to be in this country depended on her husband's status as a legal permanent resident; she had no legal status of her own and was led to believe she would face deportation if she separated from him. Carla sought the help of the Tahirih Justice Center and a petition for her legal status was filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Violence Against Women Act. She was represented in this petition by pro bono counsel, Karen O'Brien of Arnold & Porter LLP. This petition has now been granted and, as a result, Carla can remain in the U.S. and has a work permit.

Mbetta’s* family bid her farewell knowing that she would not see them back in Ghana for several years; that was OK because she was coming to the United States for a good job as a housekeeper that would help sustain the entire family who was living in poverty. Instead, a family in Maryland enslaved Mbetta for 17 months and forced her to work without pay and beat her if she resisted. The Tahirih Justice Center is helping her receive protection and benefits as a victim of trafficking and is supporting her while her traffickers are criminally prosecuted in a rare case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Noelle*, a citizen of Cameroon, was only a child when she was continually raped and sexually abused by her stepfather in the United States. After learning of the abuse, her mother contacted the police and immediately separated from him. After their separation, Noelle’s stepfather continued verbally to threaten and harass Noelle. On numerous occasions he sent letters to the Tahirih Justice Center, Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress stating that Noelle’s allegations against him were false. Tahirih filed for her legal status under the Violence Against Women Act and, thanks to the legal skill and hard work of TJC attorneys, Noelle is now free from violence. Noelle will soon receive her work permit and is eligible to become a U.S. permanent resident.

Ana*, from Uzbekistan, was 17 years old when she started corresponding with Roger, a U.S. citizen over 20 years her senior, through an Internet dating service. Ana arrived in the U.S. on a fiancée visa full of hopes and dreams about her future with Roger. It was not until after her marriage to Roger that she realized how abusive he was. Roger would regularly abuse Ana through physical violence, sexual violence and mentally controlling behavior. Ana contacted the Tahirih Justice Center and, through the help of the Center, was granted a work permit and eligibility to apply for permanent residency in the United States under the “Violence Against Women Act.”

When Rashmi* began receiving love letters from Kalpan*, she thought she had found someone special. She was still living in India, when Kalpan-a U.S. citizen of Indian descent-began to write beautiful letters and express his love for her. Soon, he began visiting her in India and promised that he would marry her if she left India and moved to the United States. When she arrived in the U.S., she and Kalpan married. Afterward, Rashmi discovered that she and Kalpan would soon have a child. At first Kalpan was happy, but then she noticed a change. After several months, he became angry and impatient with her over everything. Soon, he was abusing her physically, as well as emotionally. He insisted that she sleep on the kitchen floor and would kick her to wake her if he needed something in the middle of the night. Eventually, he forced her to have an abortion. As the abuse continued, Rashmi felt trapped. She could not return to India, as her separation from Kalpan would be considered a disgrace to her family. In desperation, she sought assistance from the Tahirih Justice Center. The Center filed for immigrant status for Rashmi under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and for employment authorization. The Tahirih Justice Center scrambled to find Rashmi emergency housing because she was facing the danger of becoming homeless. Finally, the breakthrough came—Rashmi's applications were approved. After her ordeal, she will now be able to move foward and rebuild her life. The Center is grateful for having had the opportunity to assist her.

*Names of Clients have been changed to protect their identities.