Choosing Between Survival and Silence

Overwhelmed, Isabel broke down in tears: “Finally, someone was listening and guiding me forward.”

When Isabel left Mexico many years ago, it was out of desperation. Life there was unbearably hard and dangerous for her and the children she dreamed of raising. She crossed into the United States, hoping for safety. Instead, she lived in the shadows, undocumented, terrified that one wrong step could separate her from her family forever.

In recent years, survival became a daily battle. Isabel’s son, now an adult with a mental health disability, often lashed out violently. Her son was growing, getting stronger, and beginning to reach for objects to use as weapons against Isabel and her younger daughter. The more often these rages occurred, the more she felt she had no choice but to protect herself and her daughter. However, calling the police was terrifying: what if it exposed her undocumented status and led to deportation? Now, not only would her fate be uncertain, but so would the future of her children. Yet staying silent meant putting her family at risk. Isabel felt she had no other choice but to call the police to help her restrain her son. Isabel did everything she could to participate in the investigation to get her son help, but the uncertainty of her future, due to her immigration status, still weighed heavily on the family.

Her breakthrough came when a Methodist church in Floresville connected her with JFAI. After one call, our San Antonio attorney, Daniella Salas-Chacon, took her immigration case at no cost so that she may remain in the United States. Overwhelmed, Isabel broke down in tears: “Finally, someone was listening and guiding me forward.”

Today, her case is still pending, but immigration officials have assured her that her case is likely to be approved. For now, it is just a matter of waiting for the official approval. Even with this reassurance alone, Isabel says everything has changed. Isabel has the confidence that she can now seek long-term care for her disabled son without fear. She feels a measure of safety knowing she has legal protection in a pending application, and for the first time in years, she can dream: a work permit, a home of her own, and stability for her children.

“Every day I lived afraid that one knock at the door would take me from my children. JFAI gave me the courage to keep fighting.”

Her story is a reminder of the razor’s edge immigrant survivors walk every day, between despair and hope, silence and safety. With your support, JFAI can continue to be that lifeline.

*Photo and name changed for privacy reasons