Starting over on her terms 

With her work permit, she found safety — and the freedom to build a new life, free from abuse. 

Rene* had crossed the entire country to escape her abuser, and she came to Her Justice seeking advice on how she could obtain lawful status.

She met her ex-boyfriend in their home country and together they moved to the American Northeast. He became violent when Rene tried to exercise independence from him. While the physical and sexual violence escalated, he threatened to have her deported if she dared to call the police. Rene tried to escape, but her abuser inflicted life-threatening injuries on her, to the point that she was hospitalized, needed surgery, and now suffers memory loss and slowed speech. He was arrested, and an order of protection was issued on her behalf.

After his arrest, Rene moved in with her sister in New York. Still undocumented, she came to Her Justice where her attorney determined that she would be eligible for a U visa. For five years, Rene waited on her application. During this time, she demonstrated extreme resourcefulness, calling her attorney every six months to check in and ask questions about new immigration policies, public benefits, and the possibility of a work permit. As the wait dragged on, she was left unable to obtain a stable job or move on with her life.

When Rene’s attorney called to tell her that her U visa petition had been adjudicated, she was elated. She received her work permit, and began pursuing the life she had been planning for, with a job in home health care and newfound financial stability in the city after surviving the impossible.