Lucia endured a decade of physical and emotional abuse from her lawful permanent resident spouse. When the abuse extended to threatening her children, she knew she had to act. She left with her three children and sought help at a community organization that referred her to our firm.
Lucia was concerned about including her children in the petition and worried about their safety if their father discovered the case. Our team explained that children can be included in VAWA self-petitions and the process remains confidential.
We prepared a comprehensive petition documenting years of abuse through police reports, restraining orders, school records showing the children witnessed abuse, medical records, and statements from domestic violence counselors. We filed derivative applications for all three children simultaneously.
The 20-month wait was challenging, but we secured work authorization for Lucia within four months of filing, allowing her to support her children. When the approval came, Lucia and all three children received protection.
Today, Lucia and her children all have green cards. They live in safe housing, the children are thriving in school, and Lucia works as a community health worker helping other families.