“I was fifty-fifty on believing that we would get residency through our son. I had learned about laws that applied to parents of those children born here in the US. I felt like [Antonio] had a better chance since one of his brother’s had already petitioned for him once [in 1998].”

Santiaga Galindo

“The purpose of the U Visa is to incentivize undocumented people, who normally live in the shadows, to come forward and seek the help of police,” explained Vinesh Patel, the head lawyer on Martina’s case. “It builds trust between the immigrant community and law enforcement.”

Vinesh Patel

“For [Ms. Torres], bringing her children over most likely meant saving their lives from violence in their home country, that life-or-death situation isn’t something you can say about every case, but in this one there was more at stake than simply allowing Ms. Torres to see her young kids again.”

Vinesh Patel

“It was heartbreaking, being denied. We were so frustrated but we knew we couldn’t give up. Mr. Patel and his team seemed to know how important it was to us.”

Reyes Landin Alvarez