When immigration relief is delayed, survivors should not have to put their lives on hold.Our client, Mateus, whose name and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy and confidentiality, is a labor trafficking survivor who was recruited from Latin America by his uncle and coerced into working in an abusive environment without pay. Mateus was forced to work in various logging, forestry, and timber operations in North America, including at Christmas Tree Farms throughout Northern California. After his exploitation, Mateus faced the additional threat of deportation. The Justice At Last Legal Team helped Mateus pursue a T visa, but lengthy immigration processing delays threatened to leave him without a pathway to stability. Our Attorneys also pursued another avenue and successfully helped him obtain Continued Presence, allowing him to remain in the United States, seek justice against his trafficker, and obtain employment authorization. This was a critical turning point. Now, Mateus can work legally, pursue financial independence, and build a more stable future instead of waiting in fear of deportation. Mateus’ story demonstrates why creative, persistent, survivor-centered legal advocacy matters. Survivors deserve more than freedom from exploitation. They deserve the opportunity to be treated with respect and dignity, to exercise their rights, achieve independence, and build their futures on their own terms. YOUR support makes these outcomes possible! Thank YOU for helping Justice At Last provide free legal representation and pathways to justice for survivors.
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