Dear Immigration Resource Center of San Gabriel Valley,

I am writing this letter to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the incredible work that your organization has been doing. It is truly refreshing to see an organization that operates with integrity, ensuring that every resource is utilized efficiently and effectively. In a world that often feels divided and uncertain, your organization serves as a beacon of hope and unity. You remind us that together, we can create positive change and build a brighter future for all. Your commitment to making a difference in the lives of others is truly remarkable, and I am honored to be a witness to the positive impact you create. 

I want to take a moment to thank Bree Salthouse for her invaluable assistance with my Advance Parole application as well as my DACA application this year. Her dedication, expertise, and support have been instrumental in helping me navigate these processes with ease and confidence. Traveling to my home country, Mexico, was truly an immersive and heartwarming experience. After 23 years, being able to return and reconnect with my roots has profoundly impacted my life in several ways. It allowed me to revisit the places where I grew up, reconnect with family and friends, and rediscover my heritage. This reconnection has brought a sense of belonging and identity, fostering a stronger understanding of who I am and where I come from. 

Overall, traveling to my home country after such a long time has been a deeply emotional and transformative experience. It has allowed me to reflect on my past, adapt to changes, rediscover the country, and appreciate the unique aspects of my home country. This opportunity has contributed to my personal growth, broadened my perspective, and deepened my sense of gratitude and identity. 

Once again, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to your organization for the incredible work you do. Thank you for being a shining example of compassion, empathy, and generosity. I am grateful for all that you do. 

With heartfelt appreciation, 

*Ariana

Here is a small poem I wrote and would like to share:

Me hubiera quedado más tiempo. 
Te hubiera besado más fuerte. 
Me despedí de las nubes con un beso. 
Espero que el mar me extrañe como yo la extraño a ella.

I would have stayed longer. 
I would have kissed you harder. 
I said goodbye to the clouds with a kiss. 
I hope the sea misses me the way I miss her.

*Name changed

Two clients whom we will call John and Marie, are utilizing our services to apply Adjustment of status this year. In the 80s they put their trust in a notary. Unfortunately, that person lied without John and Marie’s consent to get them an immigration benefit. When John and Marie realized the notary had lied, they immediately stopped pursuing that application. Now, 40 years later, they can adjust their status through their child. We did some research and determined we would be able to help them. They were very grateful to hear the news. After our follow-up meeting discussing the next steps they said, “Thank you for all your help. Every time we leave here, we leave with more hope.” Even just agreeing to research their case for them brought them some hope. We are glad we are able to help this family and others like them. 

Update: 

In March of this year, John and Marie returned to us with their daughter ready to apply for a petition by their daughter and an adjustment of status. Only two months after submission, their case was approved and they are currently waiting for their permanent resident cards in the mail. They expressed their extreme gratitude to this organization. They said we were put on their path when they needed it most. After almost 40 years John and Marie will be able to reunite with their family back in their home country of Brazil!

Submitted by:
Jonathan Fung

The IRC welcomes Jeremiah Jimenez, to our legal volunteer team. A Pasadena native, he attended University of California Riverside receiving a bachelor's degree in Political Science with an emphasis in International Affairs and a minor in law and society. Jeremiah is currently attending Pasadena City College in pursuit of a paralegal certificate. 

Recently, Jeremiah heard about the IRC through an employee at the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, who immediately introduced him to our board chair, Mary Ann Lutz. From there, Jeremiah has become a valued member of our legal volunteer team at the IRC. His passion for immigration comes from the belief that immigration rights are human rights and the threat of deportation and all of its consequences should not loom over entire families especially in their trying times. Jeremiah seeks to advance his academic career by attending law school or pursuing a master's degree in the future.  Welcome Jeremiah!

Hello! My name is Qlehd Mernell Guiwa and I am a rising third year law student at Southwestern Law School. 16 years ago, I immigrated to the US and experienced many difficulties that came with immigrating to a new country. Paired with my experience, I hope to use my law degree to give back to my community and to the people who've helped me along the way. I am excited to learn from the IRCSGV staff this summer and become a better advocate. I am blessed and grateful to join the team this summer!

Thank you!

Qlehd Mernell C. Guiwa

J.D. Candidate '25 | Southwestern Law School

Cocktails for a Cause was started 5 years ago by Tamara Wheeler, Adam Szarzynski and Scott Crozier as a fun way to gather, celebrate their birthdays and raise money for a good cause. The event has grown, morphed and exploded into the signature event for our Justice Circle Members (monthly donors), as well as new friends who want to learn more about our work at the IRC. This year was hosted by Rob and Jordan Boldt in their newly renovated Spanish Hacienda where we gathered to the rockin' beats of DJ Perry, grazed indulgently at the fabulous grazing table, had tasting stations for Las Californias Gin, Sipbie Craft Cold Brew Coffee and Esfuerzo Mezcal, a high end artisanal family owned brand from Oaxaca. Last but not least was our signature cocktail, The Saturn, prepared meticulously by "Pacific Pete" (Scott Crozier) who squeezed every lemon and made home brew Orgeat and Falernum in his home Tiki Bar. As the night progressed, we welcomed over 100 people to all this plus a s'mores station and a bevy of non alcoholic drinks, popcorn and more!

This event was in fact a record breaking occurrence with our highest number of attendees, the most money raised ($11,000)  and the most number of new Justice Circle members to date! To become a monthly donor and be invited to next year's event, click here. But let's talk PURPOSE for a moment. Our purpose for this event and everything we do is as follows: 1) We desire to WELCOME our fellow humans whom we believe are God's beloved creation 2) We hope to raise funds so that we can provide legals services for our immigrant neighbors 3) We want to tell the stories of our immigrant neighbors so that we can all understand more deeply the experiences, hurdles and successes that are involved in the immigration process. Thank you to our epic development committee that made this event a success with their leadership, humility and creativity. I couldn't be more grateful for their leadership.

Check out our slideshow of this year's event here. Want to host it at your house next year? We love back yards!!! ;-)

After years of hard work and constant struggle, our first Afghan family was reunified last month. Since 2021, the conditions for American allies in Afghanistan have moved from unknown to perilous. Coordinating to immigrate family members of evacuated Afghans has been a challenge. Reunification cases are uncharted territory, and each victory is won through careful trial and error. Due to the danger facing our client's family members, this high-stakes work is high-stress. 

*Zaid came to us in May of 2023. A pro bono attorney had helped him win asylum, but Zaid needed our help to apply for his green card and for reunification with his wife *Nadera, who was unable to evacuate in 2021. Hardly any private attorneys want to touch these cases because, without a working U.S. consulate in the country, there is no clear path for immigration from Afghanistan. 

Our client Nadera had to travel to a third country, Pakistan, in order to do her consular interview. Political unrest (Pakistan deporting Afghans) and logistical nightmares (the only way forward is through bribes) kept us up at night. The stress and sleepless nights were all worth it when we saw Zaid and Nadera together again. After months of pleading for help from the evacuation team the U.S. government set up for Afghans (they never responded), Nadera arrived in the U.S. due to generous support from refugee resettlement volunteers. As soon as Nadera received her U.S. visa and Pakistani humanitarian visa (simply so she could EXIT Pakistan), a volunteer purchased her next-day flight from Islamabad to LAX. 

On April 10, Nadera arrived in Los Angeles. After a few weeks of settling in, Zaid brought Nadera to the IRC, proudly introducing her. Seeing Nadera, here, in person, brought so much relief and emotion. They were both beaming. To our happy surprise, Zaid, who spoke little English last year, is now conversationally fluent and told us about his wife's travels and her exclamation at the airport: "You look so thin!" Almost three years without Nadera's cooking will do that to a man. 

Speaking of Nadera's cooking, those who worked on Zaid and Nadera's case were invited to dinner to celebrate the reunification of the couple. Bree, Jonathan, along with 3 other refugee resettlement volunteers, and an IRC client who often helps to translate, gathered for dinner in the apartment of Zaid and Nadera. Zaid drove far to purchase fresh halal lamb from his favorite market. Nadera began cooking at 10am. As we sat around eating delicious food: kabuli palao (the Aghan national dish), mantu dumplings, and fried eggplant, we felt our clients' appreciation. As our plates emptied, they miraculously were filled again, and we ate until our stomachs could take no more. With full bellies, we watched as Zaid and Nadera leaned into each other, smiling at pictures of relatives and showing us photos of their former lives, talking about their dreams of the future. This was all the reward we needed for the sleepless nights. Nadera misses her nieces and nephews. Zaid has plans to enroll her in adult school. We have another client who's wife and 4 children need humanitarian visas. Did you hear about the Afghan family who moved in down the street? 

--Bree Salthouse

*Zaid and Nadera 
Names changed to protect client confidentiality

At IRCSGV, we strive to treat each person who comes to our office with dignity, kindness, and respect through a holistic model. By design, the first point of contact for our immigrant neighbors seeking services is our Client Experience Coordinator, Samantha "Sam" Morales. She has an extraordinarily kind and welcoming manner about her, treating each client as if they were her own family member. She understands that every client has their own set of stressors, such as fear, anxiety and trauma and expertly hears their stories and directs them to their next steps with our legal staff.

Recently, a staff member was providing an initial consultation for a client. This client had high praise for Sam! He mentioned that Sam was kind, patient, and very helpful and rated her a "20 out of 10." He told us to make sure she stays on the team because he had such a great experience in the midst of all the stress of his whole immigration situation. 

Thanks so much, Sam! We recognize you for carrying the heart and the values of our work, and for helping our clients feel welcome during a time of their own vulnerability. 

We are also very pleased to announce that as of next week, Sam's position will be increased from part to full time. This is a move we have been working toward for years and now it's coming true. Thank you to all of you who are supporting this work. We couldn't do it without you!

Everyone deserves to feel the kind welcome of our Sam when they walk in the door or call. Thank you Sam! You truly are a 20 out of 10!

-Jonathan Fung, director of Legal Services

As the IRC's 10 year anniversary approaches, we reflect upon the long-term impact we have had on the lives of our clients, as we continue to provide services and accompaniment of families whose cases may take years to resolve.

One such person, Betsy, came to us during the height of the pandemic, asking for assistance in leaving her abusive spouse. She had two special-needs, U.S. citizen children who left the home with her, and all had become housing insecure as they lost their financial support. Through our partnership with the California Community Foundation, we were able to provide her with rental assistance. Through the help of Mountainside’s Compassionate Action committee, we were able to keep the family housed for longer once the initial funding ran out. We applied for a U Visa (a special visa for victim/survivors of violent crime and domestic partner abuse) and set up a plan for Betsy to eventually gain her legal status. But Betsy did not have work authorization and would not until the U Visa finished processing for many years. She could not take advantage of other social programs, she fell into homelessness and moved from shelter to shelter for the next two years, all the while her children continued to deal with the trauma of an abusive household and the instability of insecure housing and shifting school districts. Worse, Betsy’s son was diagnosed with a bone disorder that required corrective surgery, which became difficult as the doctor recommended stable housing to be obtained beforehand.

Our long term legal volunteer Julia assisted Betsy by filing our first expedite request for a U Visa application, citing the intense financial and medical needs of the family, and we were able to secure our first approval, despite having to argue that Betsy needed to be placed in the front of a line that included other survivors of serious crimes. She obtained her work authorization and was able to secure work with a homeless shelter, and immediately started advocating for other people in financially insecure situations, sending us referrals and helping other immigrants gather documents that they would need to apply for benefits. She has referred several people to our office and has prepared them for their initial consultations with us. Furthermore, her children have received the medical treatment recommended to them and have reached the most stable point in their lives in the last 4 years.

It fills us with hope to see the lives of our clients transformed over time and gives us great joy to see them empowered to not only provide for themselves and their families, but to become helpers within their own communities. We were privileged to journey with Betsy to see her progress over several years, and imagine that countless others that we have served in the past are making similar strides now.

Based in the Bay area, Matteo Clark is a coffee and design enthusiast who brings passion and expertise to his work. He keeps his keen eye for aesthetics and style, enabling him to infuse business with a distinctive sense of elegance and sophistication. His entrepreneurial ventures in coffee revolve around Sipbie Caffe, a Northern California-based mobile caffe and roasting company established in 2019.  Sipbie Caffe's journey began in Venice, Italy, igniting a passion that transcended the borders of Europe, as his goal was to bring a little bit of Italy to America. The company is dedicated to the philosophy of Kaizen: constant improvement and part of that improvement is expanding the product base by featuring premier teas, starting with Ceremonial Grade Matcha from Uji, Japan.

Zinnia Barrero, one of the IRC's volunteer attorneys, has been working on a quest of her own to help her relatives in Ecuador obtain Italian citizenship by descent.  The recent violence in the country of Zinnia's birth has caused a job shortage leaving many to go hungry.  Some are looking to emigrate to countries other than the U.S. Italy offers citizenship by descent if proven with appropriate birth records of an emigre ancestor and everyone in the descendancy line to the present.    In Zinnia's relatives' case the immigrant who crossed the Atlantic was her great great grandmother born in 1854 in Piemonte, Italy.  Documenting this case has proved a formidable task which has been going on for 14 years.  Many records have been lost (both in Ecuador and in Italy)  to fires, wars, or simply just nonexistent.   She has joined several genealogy websites such as Ancestry DNA, Family Search, My Heritage, and others to try to fill in gaps.  Zinnia's Ecuadorian relatives help by finding as much information as they can in Ecuador while Zinnia does the online research. She has been inspired by TV shows such as "Finding Your Roots", PBS series with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., from whom she gets many research tips.  This fall Zinnia hopes to visit Italy in search of some answers and hopefully will return with solid documentation of her ancestors for her Ecuadorian family. We wish her well in her endeavors!

This year, the IRC has welcomed new committee members to help make our 5th Annual Cocktails for a Cause a success. David Martinez is a filmmaker and artisan. His passion project is Esfuerzo Mezcal Artesanal, a top shelf small batch liquor brand. David divides his time between Oaxaca, where he collaborates with a small family farming operation, and California where he enjoys time with his wife and twin daughters. 

You may have seen David at the Gala where he's been the last few years generously offering Mezcal tastings. He brings a wealth of knowledge, generosity and good taste to our ambitious and fun committee.

Meet David and taste Esfuerzo Mezcal on May 4th for Cocktails for a Cause! Tickets may be purchased here: Cocktails2024.GiveSmart.com

To volunteer at Cocktails for a Cause, email jean@ircsgv.org.

Recently we have experienced a sharp increase in newly arrived immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.  Our clients’  journeys are driven by unbearable living conditions including destabilizing political upheaval, regular occurrences of violent crime all around them, and complete lack of economic opportunity. Sadly, they have had to leave their homelands behind with the sliver of a hope that they can find relief in the U.S.  In the last four years alone, over one million immigrants have sought safety at the US-Mexico border. 

Unfortunately, many of those coming from this region find difficulty in finding status or being granted asylum. One of our clients, Brayan*, made the long trek from Guatemala as a child, arriving in the US in 2020. He was processed at a center for unaccompanied minors in Texas and was ultimately reunited with an uncle in California. After this, his asylum case stretched on for years, being rescheduled 7 times and ultimately, he was denied. But for Brayan and many other asylum seekers, he was not issued a deportation order, which means he now lives in the limbo of being in the US without status, while also being unable to return to the dangerous conditions in his home country. Days after the birth of Brayan’s US citizen daughter in February,  he came to us in hopes of finding some way to never be separated from his daughter, hopefully through a pathway to citizenship. But according to current immigration law, this will take years, if not decades. In the meantime, we are doing all we can to identify helpful resources for Brayan and his baby girl as they seek safety, wholeness and freedom. It is an honor to be on this journey with him.

Check out this article for a more in depth look at this crisis, specifically in Honduras.

*Brayan's name has been changed to protect his privacy

Submitted by Brianna Greer, DOJ Accredited Representative, IRC

Many of our clients have an immigration story that starts with an involuntary loss of their home. For Candace, it was the loss of her father in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, suddenly upending the lives of herself and her young, pregnant mother. Without any support network in Mexico City, and faced with the prospect of raising a toddler and a baby on her own, Candace's mother decided to join her brother, a US citizen, and make the journey up to Los Angeles. Candace's uncle invited her into his home and raised her as his own, reading Bible stories to her at night and using his woodworking skills to craft her toys and furniture. He adopted her, and Candace was able to grow up with a father. To protect her and allow her to remain in her new home, Candace's adoptive father petitioned for her to become a permanent resident.  

Due to immigration policies from USCIS, intra-family adoptions are viewed with skepticism and as a way to circumvent immigration laws. Despite the true nature of Candace and her adoptive father's relationship, USCIS refused to approve her application, leading to multiple denials before they came to the IRC for assistance. We compiled evidence of their day-to-day lives, showcasing how their parent-child relationship was long standing and bona-fide. We were still denied, with USCIS stating that, despite the evidence presented, they did not believe that the parental relationship was legitimate.

We recommended that Candace's family file a federal lawsuit with the help of Sabrina Damast's office, and at the beginning of the year, received the outstanding news that the government attorneys had reviewed the case and immediately conceded. Sabrina Damast's office commented to us - "your excellent work with presenting evidence in support of the I-130 made the lawsuit very easy to prepare, so hats off to you." We are proud that after 5 years of advocacy, Candace can finally receive her permanent residency and find the safety and peace she deserves.

-Jonathan Fung, Director of Legal Services

The development committee of the board has several wonderful new ad hoc members who are assisting specifically with making Cocktails for a Cause 2024 the best ever. One such volunteer is Nohemi Woods. You may have met her and her husband Curtis at the Gala in November at the Prosecco Bar. Her personal story of immigration, her heart for helping others and her skills in the world of food and beverage are a huge asset to our committee.

Nohemi Woods is a labor organizer and migrant rights advocate from Tijuana, Baja California. She is a first generation immigrant who grew up in San Diego, where she found community with other undocumented folks and began her advocacy journey. Through border work, providing translation at detention centers and assisting with DACA applications,  she was able to immerse herself into the world of social justice and policy work. When she moved to LA in 2021 she joined The Restaurant Opportunity Center (ROC LA) through her work in hospitality and allowing her to connect her interests (and livelihoods) : bartending and advocacy. She's been at ROC LA for two years now, starting off as a volunteer for a year before joining the nonprofit world full time. For now, she's running workforce development programs, campaigning and enjoying policy work through the organization. 

Welcome Nohemi! If you are interested in being on the committee, email jean@ircsgv.org.

Recently, a woman came to the IRC with a horrific story of being smuggled by human traffickers and kept in bondage for nearly 10 years. She shared with us that for the past 10 years, she has been seeking a way to escape her traffickers and was finally able to get free. Now that she is free, she was ready to see what legal options she had. A T-Visa* was the path for this client - a special visa that is designed for trafficking victim/survivors in the U.S Since escaping the terrifying living conditions she was in after being smuggled into the U.S. our client was somehow able to live an independent life and find ways to support herself, even though she was undocumented. Working withT-Visa cases is emotional and difficult, requiring special care and training.  Despite our client's incredible survival story, she still experiences deep trauma from her ordeal. Victimization from trafficking is a specific sort of traumatization, and at the IRC, we seek to provide attentive, trauma-informed care to our clients. In this case, we accompanied her to report the crimes she suffered. We assisted her in requesting the required background checks, gathering documentation, and applying for the T-Visa, which will give her protection from deportation and provide a work permit. In the future, she eventually will be eligible to apply for permanent residence, ending a decades long period of legal limbo.  We are extremely honored to be a part of our client's journey toward wholeness, freedom and humanity!

From the desk of Bree Salthouse, Department of Justice Accredited Representative

For more information on the T-Visa see below:

*T nonimmigrant status is a temporary immigration benefit that enables certain victims of a severe form of trafficking to remain in the United States for an initial period of up to 4 years if they have complied with any reasonable request for assistance from law enforcement in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of human trafficking or qualify for an exemption or exception. T nonimmigrant status is also available to certain qualifying family members of trafficking victims. T nonimmigrants are eligible for employment authorization and certain federal and state benefits and services. T nonimmigrants who qualify may also be able to adjust their status and become lawful permanent residents (obtain a Green Card).

From the desk of Jonathan Fung

The current administration has made a longstanding promise to reform US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to protect and prioritize the most vulnerable of immigrants - those who have experienced serious crimes such as domestic violence. In exchange for cooperation with law enforcement, these U-Visa applicants are promised a work permit, protection from deportation, and a pathway to citizenship.

While we have helped file these applications since 2016, many of our clients are still waiting for their cases to be examined by a USCIS officer, with bureaucratic backlogs that push processing times to the very first step in the process - determining whether or not an application is "Bona Fide" and legitimate, to over 5 or 6 years. This backlog has had a real effect on our clients, delaying their ability to become financially independent from their abusers and delaying their road to recovery by preventing them from receiving promised work permits. Reports of reform within USCIS to speed up these processing times became increasingly implausible as years passed without any change.

However, at the very beginning of this year, our office was surprised to see an entire batch of approvals for work permits for our U Visa applicants. The approvals ranged across a wide span of years, from people who have been waiting 1-5 years since applying without hearing anything from USCIS. With this change in USCIS policy, we began to see real hope for our clients to receive work permits in a timely manner. Many of our clients expressed grateful surprise as their expectations for receiving a social security number and entering our workforce were moved up by years. Samantha, our Client Experience Coordinator, has been calling our clients non-stop to tell them the good news and to arrange appointments. 

It's a busy start to the new year - but we are encouraged by moments such as this that we are moving constantly towards greater empowerment of our immigrant survivor community. 

Mina Manzano is the sole breadwinner in her Azusa household.

She supports a disabled husband, an elderly father and a teenage son with a rare genetic disorder. At 4 in the morning, she rouses to administer her son's first tube feeding of the day before heading to her nursing job caring for developmentally disabled adults.

Her youngest brother in the Philippines has offered to give her much-needed respite. Like thousands of immigrants across Southern California who've petitioned for loved ones to come to the U.S., her family has been anxiously waiting for his visa application to come through.

"I'd have someone to help me in order to survive,” Manzano, 52, said.

Read the rest of the article here

Some of our work involves cases that take years before we can see an impact. U-Visas for survivors of serious crime, in particular, feel sometimes as if we are providing assistance may arrive too late - it may take 5 or 6 years after applying for benefits before USCIS is able to even issue a work permit, let alone issue a final decision. Much of the immediate impact of our work with survivors of crime, then, comes from our advice and ability to help our clients plan for the future. After filing a U-Visa, we may not see a client again for years.

For Rosie, a woman who had escaped a long, abusive relationship with her ex-husband, our last meeting had ended with uncertainty - her abuser had been stalking her and harassing her, creating anxiety and fear in her life even after they had been separated. While we were able to connect Rosie to domestic violence resources for a restraining order and community support, her outcome remained uncertain.

Several years later, after we were able to finally obtain work authorization for Rosie, we were able to check in on her progress. Since our last meeting, Rosie had found a partner that was caring and responsible, and they had started a family together and had recently brought a baby daughter into the world. She had since found stable employment, and had since safely moved away to where her abuser could no longer reach her. She was looking forward to the new opportunities her social security number and employment authorization would now provide. It was an encouraging moment that reinforced one of our core beliefs - that vulnerable immigrants in our community can thrive if they are allowed to live in a safe environment, free from the threat of deportation and violence.

The 9th Annual Stand with Our Neighbors Gala & Auction raised $190,000 to provide low cost legal services to our immigrant neighbors! 

In the months ahead, we look forward to continuing our work with Afghan refugees, DACA recipients and all of our immigrant neighbors with dignity and love! Thank you for supporting this work! We are grateful for you. Check out a slide show of the gala here! A special thanks to all of our faithful volunteers (pictured) who make the Gala so welcoming and fun!

Email jean@ircsgv.org if you'd like more information on how to volunteer for the IRC.

Dear Immigration Resource Center of San Gabriel Valley (IRCSGV),

I am writing this letter to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the incredible work that your organization has been doing. It is truly refreshing to see an organization that operates with integrity, ensuring that every resource is utilized efficiently and effectively. In a world that often feels divided and uncertain, your organization serves as a beacon of hope and unity. You remind us that together, we can create positive change and build a brighter future for all. Your commitment to making a difference in the lives of others is truly remarkable, and I am honored to be a witness to the positive impact you create.

I want to take a moment to thank Bree Salthouse for her invaluable assistance with my Advance Parole* application as well as my DACA** application this year. Her dedication, expertise, and support have been instrumental in helping me navigate these processes with ease and confidence.

Traveling to my home country, Mexico, was truly an immersive and heartwarming experience. After 23 years, being able to return and reconnect with my roots has profoundly impacted my life in several ways. It allowed me to revisit the places where I grew up, reconnect with family and friends, and rediscover my heritage. This reconnection has brought a sense of belonging and identity, fostering a stronger understanding of who I am and where I come from.

Overall, traveling to my home country after such a long time has been a deeply emotional and transformative experience. It has allowed me to reflect on my past, adapt to changes, rediscover the country, and appreciate the unique aspects of my home country. This opportunity has contributed to my personal growth, broadened my perspective, and deepened my sense of gratitude and identity.

Once again, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to your organization for the incredible work you do. Thank you for being a shining example of compassion, empathy, and generosity. I am grateful for all that you do.

With heartfelt appreciation,

A.N.G.

*Advance parole is a travel authorization issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, that allows certain noncitizens inside the United States to depart and seek to reenter the country after temporary travel abroad.

**DACA is an administrative relief that gives temporary protections to eligible immigrants who came to the United States when they were children. The program provides temporary work authorization that must be renewed every two years.