A pro bono client who was initially referred to the firm in 2017 by the Human Trafficking Legal Center in Washington, DC, finally received her long-awaited green card.
Our client "Ms. M" was born and raised in the Philippines, in an area plagued by danger and economic hardship stemming from civil and political unrest. A serial victim of trafficking, Ms. M was eventually trafficked to New York City. Although she had signed a two-year contract to serve as a housekeeper and nanny for a monthly income of $1,600, her traffickers paid her only $.53 per hour, or 7% of New York's minimum wage at that time. The traffickers confiscated Ms. M's passport and would not allow her to leave their apartment. When Ms. M asked to be returned home, her employers refused, demanding she pay back the "debt" of travel expenses they had paid to bring her to the United States. In November 2009, Ms. M escaped after finding her confiscated passport hidden away in a closet.
Obtaining a T-Visa for Ms. M was complicated by many factors. For example, if the Jenner team was unsuccessful, they faced the real risk of triggering her deportation given new Trump administration policies. The team overcame that and other challenges and Ms. M was granted a T-Visa in June 2020.
Jenner continued helping Ms. M, now with her green card application. In March 2024, Ms. M secured meaningful relief when the US Citizenship and Immigration Services approved her application.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
