Family from Honduras sought refuge in the U.S.

Evelyn* and her young son fled Honduras and sought refuge in the U.S. in May 2019. Like many of Jubilee’s clients, she lost her job and was forced to move multiple times due to the pandemic. Covid-19 effectively shut down the immigration court and curtailed access to free immigration legal services. Despite the uncertainties and challenges of the lockdown, Jubilee agreed to take Evelyn’s case. Because of Covid-19, the national shortage of immigration judges and ever increasing backlogs at the immigration court, Evelyn’s asylum trial was repeatedly postponed. Many immigrants have had their trials delayed by years, some with trial dates as far as 2025. 

Evelyn was one of the few whose trial went forward, giving her the opportunity to tell her story before an immigration judge. She courageously testified to terrifying persecution in Honduras. Evelyn had fled her partner, a former military soldier and current law enforcement officer in Honduras, after years of abuse and torment. As a person of Afro-Honduran descent, she also struggled to find work as a nurse because of pervasive racial discrimination. Evelyn, however, found strength in her political activities. Yet, because of her opposition to the Honduran regime, government troops severely beat and threatened Evelyn and her family. Her brother disappeared. She feared that she would be next. So began Evelyn’s journey north with her young son over two years ago. Last month, an immigration judge granted her asylum, a legal immigration status that allows her and her son to remain in the U.S. In a year, they can apply for permanent legal residency (a green card) and four years later, apply to become U.S. citizens. 

*Names and info changed for confidentiality

by Christine Hoang
Staff Attorney