Immigration Advocacy

Matt

Matt grew up in Morocco. He is gay and hid his sexuality until he was 18 years old. Matt came out to his family in a wave of bravery. He was met with beatings. His parents would no longer let him be alone with any boys, not even his cousins. His mother and father would call him a girl, feminizing him, making fun of him and picking away at his self-worth. They immediately stopped financing his schooling after his coming out.  

Matt fled from home after his father, in a fit of rage after catching him alone in a room with a male friend, attacked him with a kitchen knife and threatened to take his life. Matt ran away to NYC with the help of his little sister. He now lives in the shelter system and his attorney that he has never felt as accepted and free to be himself as he does here. CLC secured a SIJS order for Matt in late 2025.

Gyasi

Consider the story of one of our clients, Gyasi, a minor from Ghana. Abandoned by his father at the age of 12, he was left with a mother who did not have the financial resources to take care of him. He was forced to skip the stages of his own childhood and start taking care of himself, all the while having a speech disability that limits his ability to communicate with others. He encountered another obstacle—the reality of living as a member of an ethnic minority that routinely experiences political violence from the government. He was beaten on multiple occasions. Once, when he was beaten until he passed out and ended up in the hospital, he realized it was time to leave.

Afraid for his life and not being able to receive any support from a family member, he took a perilous journey to New York City, where he sought shelter. We conducted interviews with Gyasi, drafted all the paperwork and represented him in Family Court while ensuring that he had a qualified interpreter during every stage. We later referred him to Legal Aid who helped him complete a I-360 petition and represented him in Immigration Court.

Now, in New York, Gyasi has friends and is attending a GED program. He has a guardian, Melissa, who takes care of him financially and emotionally. She takes walks with him and gives him advice. Gyasi can finally be in a safe and supportive environment that every young person deserves.

Mina

Another one of our clients who obtained a SIJS order is Mina. When her father passed away, her mother re-married a man who started abusing Mina. He would beat both Mina and her mother, he threatened to marry Mina off to an older man and forced her to undergo a painful procedure called Female Genital Mutilation, leaving Mina with scars for life.

With no one to protect her, at only 17, Mina escaped the hostile home environment and came to New York City in search of safety. Today, her life looks very different. She is enrolled in school, receives medical and psychological support, and is under the care of a trusted guardian. He offers her guidance and resources as she rebuilds her confidence. Mina dreams of finishing school and hopes to contribute back to the city that gave her a new home.