‍

Maria entered the United States with her two minor children in February 2016. It took more than seven years for her deportation case to be dismissed and her U-Visa application to be approved. Safe Route Immigration walked alongside her through the resolution of these matters in April 2023.

Maria fled Mexico because of several traumatic issues, including sexual assault by her life partner, sexual abuse by her mom's boyfriend, and attempted kidnapping by the cartel in Michoacan.

She came to the U.S. with the promise of a family that would take care of her and her children. When she arrived, she was repeatedly assaulted by a male family member but did not report the violence for fear of being deported.

This is when Safe Route started to represent Maria and helped her with her immigration court proceedings, asylum, and U-Visa protections. Now that she has her U-Visa approved, she is safe from a forcible return to Mexico.

For several years, she has been independent and employed in the Portland area, gaining confidence in her English skills and providing for herself and her minor children.

‍