Image Description: Community member Norma and her granddaughter.
Norma is a new community member in Chicago. A mother hoping to secure fundamental rights for her and her family, she sought out immigration support from one of Beyond’s community partners, Enlace Chicago. Securing a legally-protected immigration status in the US is a central goal for many who simply aim to become active members of their new communities, to work, to build a life, to live with safety and dignity. For Norma, securing status also meant being able to stay with her daughter, Diana, who has citizenship. Status would also give Norma the ability to travel to see her family abroad. This latter concern proved pressing: Norma’s mother was sick in Mexico, though without status, traveling to reunite with her mother raised the risk of detention and deportation upon her return. Tragically, Norma’s mother, and Diana’s grandmother, passed before either of them could say goodbye.
This reality is all-too-common for many families in the US, today.
Facing this significant loss to her and her family, Norma ultimately decided to continue pursuing her rights under the law. After meeting with Enlace, she was assigned to work with Beyond attorney A.J. Johnson Reyes on her case. Reflecting on her experience, Norma noted that “it was like working with an angel. This is a miracle. I thank God and A.J. that I didn’t have to go through immigration on my own.” Throughout this difficult period, A.J. worked with Norma to assess her options, identify her goals and the outcome she desired, and ultimately, they filed her immigration application to secure her status.
Working with Beyond Legal Aid changed Norma’s opinions of attorneys. She was surprised that someone else could care so much about her case. Her daughter, Diana, also echoed this sentiment:
“For the first time ever, my mom has heard ‘yes we can help you out.’ It was exciting to see her have that hope. It’s awesome that there is someone out there who cares about people like us. We are excited to be at this point. As a little girl, I struggled with the thought that [my mom could be deported.] I’m happy for my mom.”
With A.J.’s support, Norma’s case proved successful. She is currently planning a trip to Mexico to visit her mother’s grave site as soon as her green card arrives. She and Diana will finally be able to say goodbye.