Celebrating Hope and Goodness

Javier with his family.

Javier* crossed the border into the U.S. from Mexico in 2011, after he was laid off from his factory job of 20 years. His factory in Mexico had shut down because it was more profitable for the company to outsource its operations to a lower-wage workforce. Unable to find work in Mexico to support his wife and three young children, Javier made the difficult decision to leave behind his family and home in hope of a better future up north. With the help of his brother and uncle, Javier found work in the U.S. that allowed him to financially support his family in Mexico. He worked hard, long hours and paid his taxes. In 2015, while preparing to go to work in the early morning hours, Javier was carjacked at gunpoint. His assailant pointed a gun at Javier’s head. Although Javier didn’t understand what the gunman was actually saying to him in English, he knew he had to hand over the car he had used all his savings to buy. After the assailant drove away with his car, Javier reported the incident to the police. Although the police found his abandoned car a few days later, no suspect was ever arrested. For Javier, the incident triggered past trauma of physical assaults in Mexico. He also suffered from insomnia, anxiety and nightmares for many months. 

Javier became one of Jubilee’s first clients in 2016. Jubilee assisted him with applying for a U visa, an immigration benefit for survivors of violent criminal activity who cooperate with the law enforcement investigation or prosecution and suffer substantial harm because of the crime. Javier was also able to include his wife and three children in his U visa application. Seven years later, Javier’s application was finally approved. His wife and two children, now young adults, moved to the U.S. last month. His remaining son in Mexico will arrive in the U.S. in January. After thirteen years of living apart, his beautiful family will finally be reunited. Javier and his family will be able to apply for permanent residency in about three years. 

* Names and details changed for confidentiality

By Amy Lee

Executive Director & Immigration Attorney