Sam Left Detention with a Green Card

Sam* fled Honduras after receiving death threats from gang members. His father had abandoned him when he was young, and nonprofit attorneys later helped him obtain Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) in the United States. This legal status made him eligible to wait in line to apply for a green card, but his case was far from straightforward.

In December 2025, ICE detained Sam despite having SIJS. By then, an immigrant visa number had become available for him to apply for permanent residence based on his approved SIJS classification. JFAI Staff Attorney Alexandra Santamaría Caplan advocated for his adjustment of status while he was detained. The application was approved, and Sam left detention as a lawful permanent resident.

Sam’s case reflects how legal representation can make a difference for someone in detention. However,  funding for our work is at risk. A temporary court order has paused payments from the Harris County Immigrant Legal Services Fund, which supports JFAI’s representation of people facing deportation.

“Sam had already fled threats to his life when he was detained,” Alexandra said. “Fortunately, he had a path to a green card, and we were able to help him pursue it. Now funding for deportation defense has halted, but our clients’ cases and deadlines do not. We need our community’s support to keep showing up for people like Sam when they most need an attorney.

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*Name and photo changed for privacy reasons.