Client Stories: Jaime

Jaime, an indigenous community organizer from a tribe in Jalisco, Mexico, worked to preserve and protect his ancestral agricultural lands, attempting to access the formal legal systems of Mexico to obtain restitution for lands illegally taken from his tribe. However, corrupt municipal government officials and police with a vested interest in the land threatened Jaime, culminating in a kidnapping and a violent beating. Jaime was brave enough to work with international journalists and human rights monitors to make sure his story was heard, but his immediate family became endangered and they decided to flee for their safety.

Jaime was able to successfully receive political asylum in the U.S., a difficult form of relief to obtain for Mexican nationals. After receiving asylum, he came to the IRC for assistance in helping him and his family with obtaining permanent residency, so that he could continue to stay in the U.S.  Just this last week, we received notice that he was approved! The legal staff of the IRC appreciates the bravery of indigenous activists like Jaime, and hopes to continue to serve underrepresented communities that face linguistic and financial barriers to immigration freedom.