By Alexia Carrera
Immigration Paralegal, MRC Arizona Office
What was your day like?
In the US, we go through the motions of everyday life. We patiently wait for traffic to clear up in the morning. We work or sit through each class until dismissal. We are glued to social media. We come home to our loved ones. The cycle repeats. We simply make choices and nothing is wrong with that. But that’s not the way it is everywhere.
Imagine if your day went like this instead:
You drive to work. On the way home, local gangs threaten you to push drugs, but you decline. You often pay a tax to that same gang so that you can operate your honest business. After work, you go home and choose to stay inside because you do not want to witness any public executions.
Maybe a scenario repeats several times throughout the month. You get caught in the middle of a gunfight on the way to work. Or your children’s school suddenly closes, so your they go with you to work. Sometimes, they hide in the bathroom after hearing the piercing sounds of gunfire. A few of your relatives disappear and fade into a memory. You tell the police about any of these, but they brush it off.
TOugh Choices:
These are just some ways that local violence has infiltrated the daily lives of many living abroad – particularly Central Americans. And why so many choose to face an uncertain legal status in the U.S. instead. Immigration laws in the United States have allowed those affected to create a new life. Asylum applications, that withhold removal, offer a direct pathway for green card status. Moreover, they offer hope to populations, who have more than enough fear and loss.
MRC exists to help make that hope of a better life a reality.
If you have questions or issues about immigration law, we are your resource for affordable assistance and legal representation.
Call us at 646-609-8805 (NY) or 602-344-9255 (AZ).