During the custody process, however, M.H. was the victim of a robbery. His cooperation with law enforcement authorities made him eligible to apply for a U nonimmigrant status (U-Visa). U-Visas are provided to victims of crimes who work with the police to apprehend and convict the criminals. Aleida filed M.H.’s Petition for a U-Visa in June 2015. There was no response from the United States Custom and Immigration Service until a request for evidence was made in July 2019. Aleida and Marvic worked with M.H. to respond to the request and gather additional evidence showing his eligibility for a U-Visa. In December 2019, they received notice that M.H. had demonstrated the eligibility requirements for the U-Visa and would be placed on the waitlist for a visa. In March 2020 and after a five-year process, M.H.’s U-Visa was approved retroactively, and he now has valid authorization to work in the United States. M.H. will be eligible to apply for permanent legal status in 2024. He continues to work and support his sister and has recently started his own remodeling business. June Cheng and Matthew Webster assisted.
JENNY PUSCH
Jenny Pusch and legal administrative assistant Marvic Salminen-Morillo, assisted Maria in her quest for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) after she fled her home in a very poor, rural part of Guatemala for safety reasons. Maria’s parents abandoned her as a child, and she was forced to live with an abusive family member in a region of Guatemala overwhelmed with gang violence and corruption. Scared for her future, she escaped and traveled to the United States alone when she was only 16 years old. Imagine traveling through Mexico completely alone at that age. After crossing the U.S. border, she was picked up by Border Patrol in Arizona. She spent four long months in an immigration center for women and children and was eventually released to her cousin’s custody in Minnesota. After Border Patrol detained Maria, the 11
