This holiday season, the Latino Racial Justice Circle (LRJC) invites you to bring hope and safety to local immigrant youth and teens. In partnership with the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland (PBRC), we have identified three young people whose situations qualify them to remain safely in the United States, but to do so, they urgently need immigration legal representation.
Immigrants who have legal counsel are 10x more likely to win their cases and be granted permission to stay in the U.S. Having legal representation opens the door to security, stability, and a future filled with possibility.
Please join the LRJC to provide an opportunity for these individuals to seek safety and security by contributing to our Legal Assistance fundraiser. Your donation can provide that support for these three young people:
1) Miguel, age ten, came to the U.S. with his mom in 2019. They came from Honduras, and they currently live in the Baltimore area. Miguel’s father abandoned him when he was only two years old. Since then, he has not supported Miguel or been a part of his life in any way. Miguel needs legal representation so that he can stay in the United States and have a chance to grow, learn and thrive.
2) Luis entered the U.S. two years ago as an unaccompanied child when he was just sixteen years old. He lives with his dad and his sister in the Baltimore area. Because his mother abandoned him, his father is his sole source of support. Luis needs legal representation so that he can stay in the U.S. and escape gang violence in Honduras. Otherwise, he risks being returned to a country where he will face dangerous circumstances and have limited opportunities.
3) Valeria is a young teenager who came to the US with her mom a year ago. They left Guatemala because of an abusive relationship with Valeria’s father. However, Valeria’s mother has since returned to Guatemala, so now is living with a cousin in the Baltimore area. Valeria is only fifteen years old, and she needs legal representation so that she can stay in the US and start a new life without the fear of living with violence.
With your help, Miguel, Luis, and Valeria will be able to apply for a legal status called Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), a pathway to residency for youth who, among other things, have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. Luis additionally may also qualify for asylum based on his persecution by gangs in Honduras. Your support can provide them with the immigration attorneys they need to be successful in their cases.
Your contribution can help open the door to a life of safety for these young people so that they can heal, grow, and live full lives free of fear and filled with opportunities.
Thank you for your generosity of heart and your generous contribution!
(Names have been changed for privacy.)
Sources and additional information:
For more information on the Latino Racial Justice Circle:
For more information on the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland:
Donations made to this fundraiser will be allocated as such: 90% to the Legal Assistance fund and 10% to support the LRJC's administrative and operating costs.
Organizer
Latino Racial Justice Circle Inc.
Beneficiary